


The Doctor and The Nightingale

by EmmaThatWriterGirl



Series: The Doctor and The Nightingale [1]
Category: DC Extended Universe, Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:35:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 48
Words: 115,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22867984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaThatWriterGirl/pseuds/EmmaThatWriterGirl
Summary: The Doctor and the Nightingale.They both thought that they were the last of their kind.That is until they both meet on New Earth.As they travel through space and time together, along with their fellow companions, they realize that they need each other more than they think.{Series 2}
Relationships: Rose Tyler/Original Male Character(s), Tenth Doctor/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Doctor and The Nightingale [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643815
Comments: 15
Kudos: 38





	1. New Earth 1.1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new story. This is a crossover between Doctor Who and Marvel, but mainly Doctor Who. This story will contain adventures from the show, and my own made up adventures.

Nova stood at the console of her TARDIS. She pressed different buttons, and pulled different levers. Tate Peltzer, her faithful companion, watched with intrigue.

"Where are we going today, Nova?" he wondered aloud.

"Well," she started. She turned to look at him and placed her hands on her waist. "I figured we get out of the past for a while, and take a trip to the future!"

"Yeah!" Tate agreed with a smile. "Future would be good" 

Nova smiled and ruffled his hair like she always did with him. It was her sign of friendly affection. "Alright. Coordinates are in. Tate, if you could pull that lever for me" She pointed to the aforementioned lever.

Tate gripped it and pulled it down. The familiar whirring noise chimed in his ear. "Exactly how far into the future are we going?"

"How far, you ask?" She hummed. "Well, my dear boy, we're pretty far into the future"

"Yeah, but what year is it?" 

"The best way to find out is to see it for yourself" She opened the door, and her and Tate stepped out of her TARDIS, which also happened to be an old Volkswagen van. 

Tate couldn't believe his eyes. They had materialised across the river from a massive city. Overhead of them were flying cars zooming about. There was also a sweet aroma radiating about. He heard the beeping which indicated that Nova had locked her Volkswagen TARDIS. 

"Nova, this is spectacular. I mean just look at that city!" Tate tilted his head upwards and pointed to the sky. "And look! Flying cars!" 

"And that aroma your smelling? Apple grass"

"Apple grass" he repeated.

"It was the year five billion when the sun expanded and roasted to Earth" Nova jumped right into it, and started moving forward. Tate followed and listened. "Now, it is five billion and twenty three. We're in galaxy M87, and this is New Earth"

"So if this is New Earth" Tate pointed towards the city. "Then what would that make the city?"

"New New York" 

Tate scoffed. "Seriously?"

"Yes!" Nova accentuated her answer with a stomp in her step. "Well, strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York"

"So that would make it?" Tate touched his tongue to the roof of his mouth. "New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York?"

Nova smiled. "Bingo!" She tapped her finger against his nose. 

Tate gave her a look of annoyance. "You know I don't like it when you do that, Nightingale"

"Oh, come on! You've such a cute nose for it!" She booped his nose again. "It's like a little button" She giggled. Her expression became more serious when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, hello. What is this?" Her curiosity got the best of her and she ran off, leaving Tate behind.

"Oi! Nova!" He started running after her. "Wait for me!"

* * *

The Doctor and Rose Tyler were off on their own adventure. They were on their way to the hospital as the Doctor had gotten a message, asking for them to come. Rose stopped when she spotted something in the corner of her eye. Something that seemed so... out of place.

"Doctor?" The blonde beckoned, garnering the man's attention. "Am I going crazy, or is that an old Volkswagen over there?"

"Well that's not supposed to be here" The Doctor added. He and Rose walked over to it.

"Where do you think it came from?" Rose circled the vehicle. The only windows they could look inside were the driver and passenger seat windows. The van's back windows had curtains closing them. "Cute van, though"

The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He scanned the van and then looked at the sonic. His eyes widened at the readings. "No. It can't be"

"What?" Rose questioned. "What is it?"

"Oi!" an unfamiliar voice shouted. The Doctor and Rose looked up to see two people running towards them. One was a young man, around the same age as Rose. The other was a young woman who looked like she belonged in the nineteen seventies. "Back away from Baby, right now!"

* * *

When Tate finally caught up to Nova, he saw that she was staring at a blue police public call box. She had on that look of concentration, stroking her chin as she stared at it. "Curious" she muttered more to herself than to her companion.

"It's just a blue box" Tate shrugged. "I don't see what's so curious about it"

"Look around you, Tate" Nova held her arms out and spun around in a circle. "This is an old police public call box. Very out of place for New Earth, five billion and twenty three"

"Says the lady who travels in an old nineteen seventies Volkswagen" 

"Watch it, pretty boy!" She wagged a finger at him. She reached into her bag and pulled out her sonic screwdriver. She walked around the box, scanning it as she did so. When she circled back around to Tate, her sonic showed a reading. "Groovy! I got a reading!" She exclaimed, slapping Tate's back harder than she intended to.

"Ow" he muttered. He glared at the Time Lady. "Watch your hand there, Nightingale"

"Sorry" She read the readings on her sonic screwdriver. Her eyes widened at what she saw, and a huge grin grew on her face. "Oh, this is groovy. So very groovy"

"I'm sorry, but what's groovy?"

"Come on, Tate. Back to our TARDIS" Nova ran off once again. Well, more like skipped. She always skipped when she was excited. 

Tate rolled his eyes. Honestly, he really liked the woman (in a platonic way, of course), and he loved travelling with her, but she always had a habit of running off without him. "I thought we were going to see the city!" He called out as he ran after her. "And what do you mean our TARDIS?"

* * *

The closer Nova got to her TARDIS, the clearer she could see the man and woman circling around it. "Oi!" She shouted, gaining their attention. "Back away from Baby, right now!" The man and woman both put their hands up and stepped away from the Volkswagen TARDIS. Nova came to an abrupt stop, not realizing Tate was right on her tail, and had tripped on his feet.

"Nova! Watch out!" He warned. 

"Huh?" she hummed. Tate ended up falling on top of her, knocking them both down to the ground. Nova didn't realize that her sonic screwdriver had fallen out of her bag and landed near the tall, brunette man's feet. He bent over and picked it up. He examined it with curiosity, while the woman had been kind enough to help the two strangers.

"My goodness, are you two alright?" she asked. She grabbed onto Nova's hand first and helped her up. Then she pulled Tate up to his feet. Once Tate was standing up straight, he locked eyes with the woman, and he suddenly felt his heart beating hard against his chest.

"Y-yeah" Tate cleared his throat. "We're both fine"

* * *

The thick Irish accent that came from the man was enough to make Rose's stomach flutter with butterflies. She smiled at him. "Oh, that's good" 

"Hang on" the woman spoke, the same Irish accent as the man. "We don't know that for sure" The woman grabbed onto the man's shoulders and turned him around so that he was facing her. "Who am I? Who are you?"

"You're Nova. I'm Tate"

"Where are we?"

"New Earth"

"Are you feeling drowsy, dizzy, or nauseated?"

"No"

"Do you have a headache?"

"No"

The woman, who Rose now learned was Nova, held up two fingers in front of the man, who she now learned was Tate. Rose watched them with an amused smile. Even the Doctor had his attention on them now, the same amused smile on his face. "How many fingers am I holding up?" 

Tate rolled his eyes. "Two" He understood that she cared about him, but her concussion checks every time they took a fall was annoying.

"Okay. Stand still for five seconds" She counted to five in her head as Tate stood there perfectly like a statue. "Groovy, your balance is still good. Alright, now--"

"I don't have a concussion" Tate huffed.

"Given your answers to the concussion check scale, I'd say you don't" Nova booped his nose again. "This is why we do these checks. Now, onto another matter at hand" She turned around and faced the Doctor. She pointed at her sonic screwdriver which was still in his hand. "I don't believe that is your property"

The Doctor held up the sonic. "This belongs to you?"

"I made it, ergo, it is my property" Nova snatched it out of his hands. The Doctor placed one hand against the Volkswagen and leaned against it.

"I'm guessing this belongs to you too" The Doctor smirked at her. "You did call it Baby after all"

"Well, that's because she is my baby. Now, both of you, hold still" Nova looked towards Rose. "I'll start with you first"

"Start what exactly?" Rose asked. 

Nova didn't answer her as she started scanning Rose with her sonic screwdriver. "The pretty blonde is human" Nova muttered. Then she started scanning The Doctor. When she saw the readings, she had the same excitement on her face when she saw the readings for the blue box. "I knew it! I knew it the moment I saw that blue box! Whenever there's another TARDIS, there has to be another Time Lord" She spun around in excitement. "And then I find you!"

The Doctor watched her in amusement. Rose leaned in to whisper to Tate. "Is she always excited?"

"Yes" he nodded. "I'm Tate, by the way. Tate Peltzer"

"I'm Rose Tyler. This is The Doctor" 

"Pleasure to meet you both" Tate pointed towards Nova, whom was still spinning around in a circle. "That over there is The Nightingale"

Nova finally stopped spinning around, only to become dizzy and lose her balance. She was about to fall to the ground when a pair of arms caught her. Expecting it to be Tate, she looked up at him to thank him, but it was the Doctor who caught her. The two of them locked eyes. They seemed to just stare at each other, not speaking a word until Tate cleared his throat.

"Oh, right" Nova said. The Doctor let her go, and she went to go stand beside her companion. "You can also call me Nova. It's quicker than calling me Nightingale all the time"

Rose smiled widely at both of them. "Nova! I like that! It suits you because you guys travel around in space like us. It's a spacy name"

"Plus, if someone calls me super, I'll be a Supernova" 

"That's a good nickname though, Supernova" The Doctor mused. He smiled in her direction, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I like it. I'll start calling you that"

Nova smiled at him. "So, Doctor and Rose Tyler, where were you two headed off to?"

"To that hospital over there" The Doctor pointed in the direction.

"Ah! Should've guessed that was a hospital by the green moon on the side" Nova looked towards Tate. "The universal symbol for hospitals"

"You two should come with us"

"What do you say, Tate?" She nudged her friend with her shoulder. "Shall we take up the Doctor's invitation, and join him and Rose?"

"Definitely!" Tate agreed.

"Brilliant!" The Doctor exclaimed. He linked his arm with Nova just as Rose linked her arm with Tate. "Off we go then!"


	2. New Earth 1.2

The Doctor, Nova, Rose, and Tate entered the hospital. "Bit rich, coming from you" Rose commented on a remark the Doctor said.

"I can't help it. I don't like hospitals. They give me the creeps" he responded.

"Y'know what gives me the creeps?" Nova asked, causing her three friends to look at her. "Graveyards. Can't stand 'em. I always think an arms gonna pop out from the ground and grab my ankle"

"No more zombie movies for you, then" Tate stated.

An announcement was made. "The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes. Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted"

"Very smart. Not exactly NHS" Rose said.

"No shop. I like the little shop" The Doctor mused.

"Me too" Nova agreed.

"If there's a cafeteria here, the food better not be complete rubbish" Tate said.

"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything" Rose wondered out loud.

"The human race moves on" The Doctor started, while Nova finished for him.

"But so do the viruses" She earned a smile from her fellow Time Lord. "It's an ongoing war"

Rose and Tate were both surprised to see that all the nurses were cats. They both looked at each other with the same expression. "They're cats" Rose exclaimed, pointing at the one that walked by.

"I know!" Tate replied.

"Now, don't stare" The Doctor said, approaching the both of them. "Think what you two look like to them, all pink and yellow" He pointed at a spot behind them. "That's where I'd put the shop. Right there" He made his way to the lift, with Nova walking beside him. Rose and Tate stayed put, watching the two of them.

"Ward 26, thanks" The Doctor announced as he and Nova entered the lift. The lift closed as Rose and Tate were about to get in with them.

"Doctor! Nova!"

"Oops!" Nova exclaimed. She looked at the screen which showed the lift moving upwards. "You guys are too late. We're going up"

"That's alright. There's another lift here" Tate said.

"Ward 26, you two. And watch out for the disinfectant" The Doctor said.

"Watch out for the what?" Rose questioned.

"The disinfectant!"

"The what?"

"The disin--," the Doctor stopped himself. "Oh, you'll find out" He muttered so that only he and Nova could hear.

The other life arrived. Rose and Tate stepped inside it. The two of them looked at each other. "So, do we just..." Tate trailed off.

"I think" Rose nodded. "Ward 26. Thanks" Their screen indicated the lift going downwards. They didn't know that they were meant to be going up.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova stood side by side in the lift. Green lights went off and a voice spoke over a speaker. "Commence stage one disinfection"

The two of them were drenched in some sort of spray. The Doctor ran his fingers through of hair, as if he were enjoying a shower. Nova held her arms out in front of her and acted as if she was lathering herself up with some soap. Next was the blow dry, which both of them enjoyed. The Doctor opened up his coat, making sure to get in nice and dry. Nova made sure that she got her hair nice and dry, combing her fingers through it.

The lift came to a stop. The Doctor and Nova stepped out of it, both looking squeaky clean. The Doctors hair was pushed back nicely, and Nova had managed to get hers to the way it was before. They both gave each other a once over. Nova grinned at him.

"Looking good, Doctor" she commented.

The Doctor smiled as he ran a hand through his hair. "As are you, Supernova" The two of them joined hands as they made their way forward.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rose and Tate did not have as much fun with the disinfectant as The Doctor and Nova did. "Well," Tate huffed. "That was not fun"

"Well, the blow dry wasn't so bad" Rose shrugged. "The drenching though. That was the worst part" The two of them stepped out of the lift, and saw someone standing at the end of the hall.

"The human child is clean" the stranger said, staring at them.

"We're looking for Ward 26" Rose said.

"This way Rose Tyler, and friend of Rose Tyler" the stranger said before walking down the hall. Tate and Rose looked at each other.

"Someone you know?" Tate asked her.

Rose shook her head. "I don't think so" She reached down and picked up two metal bars. She gave one of them to Tate. "Here, just incase"

"Thanks" Tate muttered. The two of them followed after the strange man.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova were escorted by a veiled nurse. "Nice place" The Doctor commented as he glanced around. "No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one. Just a shop, so people can shop"

The nurse, Sister Jatt, removed her veil. "The hospital is a place of healing"

"A shop can do people good" Nova stated. "Personally, I love those little teddy bears that have messages on them like "Get well beary soon" She sighed dreamily. "Ah, so very cute"

"The Sisters of Plentitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend" Jatt explained as they kept moving forward. They passed an open cubicle which had a rather large man dressed in extravagant clothes and a blue hue to his skin.

"Excuse me," Clovis, the woman standing next to him said. She approached Nova and The Doctor. "Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York"

"That's Petrifold Regression, right?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm dying, sir. A lifetime of charity and abstinence, and it ends like this" The Duke sorrowfully said.

"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance" Clovis said.

"Frau Clovis!" She went back to the Duke's side and grabbed his hand. "I'm so weak"

Clovis looked at the nurse. "Sister Jatt, a little privacy, please!" 

Jatt, Nova, and The Doctor moved on. "He'll be up and about in no time" Jatt assured.

"Really?" Nova questioned, a hint of sass in her tone. "He's got Petrifold Regression. The man is turning to stone"

"There won't be a cure for oh, a thousand years?" The Doctor continued on from her. "He might be up and about, but only as a statue"

"Have faith in the Sisterhood" Jatt voiced. "But is there no one here you recognise? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient"

The Doctor's sight wandered off to the side. "No, I think I've found him" They went over to the large face in a glass container by the window. 

"Novice Hame, if I can leave this gentleman and lady in your care?" Jatt requested of her fellow nurse.

Nova realized that their friends hadn't joined them yet. "I think our friends got lost" She said to Jatt. "Rose Tyler and Tate Peltzer. Could you ask at reception?"

"Certainly, ma'am" Jatt nodded before walking off.

"I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep" Hame explained. "That's all he tends to do these days. Are you a friend, or..."

"We met just the once on Platform One" The Doctor answered. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm so sorry. I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying"

"Of what?"

"Old age. The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions, although that's impossible"

"Oh, I don't know. I like impossible" The Doctor smiled at Nova.

"I do too" she agreed with the same smile.

She watched as he got down on his knees so he could be face to face with the Face of Boe. "I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me, It's the Doctor" He put his hand on the glass.

* * *

Down in the basement, Rose and Tate entered a room with a projector playing the reel of a party. There was a woman on screen that peaked familiarity with Rose. "Wait a minute! That's..." She and Tate whipped their heads around.

"Peekaboo!" 

"What the hell?" Tate muttered in confusion. It was a big flap of skin. With a face. And it was talking. And apparently Rose knew her. 

"Don't you come anywhere near me, Cassandra" Rose warned. She held out the metal pipe in front of her. Tate followed suit. He could tell by the way Rose was interacting with her, the flap of skin was a threat.

"Or me" Tate warned as well. "Whatever you are"

"Why? What do you think I'm going to do? Flap you to death?" Cassandra snided.

"Yeah, but what about Gollum?" Rose wondered. 

"Oh that's just Chip. He's my pet"

Chip emerged from his hiding spot. "I worship the mistress"

"Moisturise me, moisturise me" Chip grabbed a spray bottle and spritzed Cassandra with water. "He's not even a proper life form. He's a force grown clone. I modelled him on my favourite pattern. But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs"

Tate's face grimaced. "Really hope that means food"

"How come you're still alive?" Rose mused.

"After you murdered me" Cassandra bitterly recalled. 

Rose stepped forward. "That was your own fault"

"The brain of my mistress survived" Chip nodded towards a brain which was sitting in a container full of water. "And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin" Cassandra smiled and fluttered her eyes.

"What about the skin? I saw it" Rose chuckled. " You got ripped apart"

"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body. This piece is the back" Cassandra answered.

Rose and Tate both let out a laugh. "So that would mean that you're talking out of your---" Tate was cut off by Cassandra.

"Ask not!"

"The mistress was lucky to survive. Chip secreted m'lady into the hospital" Chip explained proudly.

"So, they don't know you're here?" Rose asked.

"Chip steals medicine. Helps m'lady. Soothes her, strokes her" He began to stroke the back of Cassandra.

Tate resisted the urge to vomit. "Yeah Chip. Just stop right there"

"But I'm so alone, hidden down here. The last Human in existence" Cassandra mournfully wallowed.

"Don't start that again. They've called this planet New Earth" Rose said.

"A vegetable patch"

"And with a New Earth, comes more humans" Tate added. "There's probably millions of them out there. Wouldn't you say, Rose?"

Rose nodded. "Oh, I agree with Tate. Millions of them"

"Mutant stock"

Rose ignored Cassandra as she continued on. "They evolved, Cassandra. They just evolved, like they should. You stayed still. You got yourself all pickled and preserved, and what good did it do you?"

"Oh, I remember that night" Cassandra sighed as she reminisced. "Oh, I remember that night. Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it all became such hard work"

"Well, you've got a knack for survival" Rose crossed her arms. "I'll give you that"

"But I've not been idle, Rose and Tate, tucked away underneath this hospital. I've been listening. The Sisters are hiding something"

"What do you mean?" Tate asked.

"Oh these cats have secrets. Hush, let me whisper. Come close"

"You must be joking if you think we're coming anywhere near you" Rose said. She began backing away. When she was in the doorway, her hands were grabbed by some energy. 

"Chip, activate the psychograft" Cassandra ordered. Chip hopped over towards a device.

"I can't move. Cassandra, let me go!" 

"Rose, I'll help you!" Tate said. He went to go try to help Rose but she was surrounded by blue light. "What are you doing to her!?"

"The lady's moving on. It's goodbye trampoline, and hello blondie" Cassandra said. There was a whoosh of energy that came from Cassandra and went into Rose. Chip switched everything off. The light disappeared and Rose fell to the ground. 

"Rose!" Tate said. He went to go help her up but Chip barked at him.

"Do not touch her!" Tate listened and backed away from the blonde. Chip stood near her and looked down at her. "Mistress?"

"Moisturise me" Cass-Rose mustered in a breath. She looked in awe at her arms. "Arms. Fingers" She touched her hair. "Hair!" She squealed in excitement. She stood up. "Let me see! Let me see!" She went over to the mirror. "Oh my God. I'm a chav!"

She smiled yet again and whipped her head around to look at Tate. He was looking at Cass-Rose with a mix of shock and anger on his face. "Listen here, Cassandra. You'd better get out of her right now!"

"Really? And what are you gonna do about it, pretty boy?" Cass-Rose began circling around Tate. "Seriously though, you are a pretty boy. I can see why she's already starting to like you" She grabbed Tate's face in her hands and pulled him into a kiss. 

Tate pushed him off of her. "The hell is wrong with you!?"

"Oh come on. You should be thanking me. I see the way you look at Rose" Cass-Rose smirked at him. "Somebody's got a little crush" Her expression then turned serious. "By the way, you tell anyone about this, you will be very sorry"


	3. New Earth 1.3

The Doctor approached Hame and Nova with two cups of water in his hands. He gave one to Hame. "That's very kind. There's no need"

"You're the one working" The Doctor said. He went over to the window overlooking the city where Nova was standing. He stood beside her and gave her the other cup of water.

"Thank you, Doctor" Nova smiled at him. 

"There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs" Hame said.

"Are we the only visitors?"

"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to one like himself"

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked.

"It's just a story"

"Tell me the rest"

"It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home. The lonely God"

Nova suddenly remembered something. She reached into her bag and pulled out a phone. The Doctor was watching as she did so. "What're you doing?"

"I'm gonna call Tate. See what's holding him and Rose up for so long" she explained. The Doctor looked curiously at her phone. It wasn't like the phone that Rose had. It was bigger with a big screen on it. She turned the phone on and a holographic screen popped up in front of her.

"Where'd you get a phone like that?" 

"A friend gave it to me" Now The Doctor was curious. What kind of friend did she have to get a phone like that? The hologram popped up a page of contacts. She stuck her tongue out as she scrolled through her many contacts. The Doctor paid attention to some of the names that she passed.

Bruce **Banner** , Bucky **Barnes** , Clint **Barton** , Carol **Danvers** , Nick **Fury** , Scott **Lang** , Wanda **Maximoff** , Peter **Parker** , Tate **Peltzer** , Tony **Stark** , Stephen **Strange** , James **Rhodes** , Steve **Rogers** , Natasha **Romanoff** , Sam **Wilson**

The Doctor obviously recognized Tate's name, but he didn't know who all the other people. What kind of adventures had Nova and Tate been on? The Doctor would have to ask about it later. Nova pressed Tate's name and the holographic screen disappeared. She put the phone up to her ear.

"Damn it, Stark" Nova muttered to herself. "You make making a phone call so tedious. What's wrong with a normal smartphone?"

* * *

"Look at me" Cass-Rose was still looking at herself in the mirror. "From class to brass. Although," She unzipped Rose's jacket, and ran her hands along her body. "Oh, curves" She started bouncing. "Oh, baby, it's like living inside a bouncy castle!"

"The mistress is beautiful!" Chip exclaimed.

"Absolutement!" Cass-Rose looked over to where her old flap of skin was. "Oh, but look"

"Oh, the brain lead expired. My old mistress is gone" 

"But safe and sound in here" Cass-Rose pointed at her head.

"But what of the Rose child's mind?"

"Oh, tucked away. I can just about access the surface memory. She's. Gosh, she's with the Doctor. A man. He's the Doctor. The same Doctor with a new face. That hypocrite! I must get the name of his surgeon" Cass-Rose went back over to the mirror. " I could do with a little work. Although nice rear bumper. Hmm" Cass-Rose then gasped in excitement. "Oh, and she's also met another new friend! Oh, and she is beautiful! Wouldn't mind walking around with that face for a day"

A phone began ringing. It was Tate's phone. Cass-Rose and Chip looked in his direction. He answered the phone. Cass-Rose was giving him a warning glare, as if to say, "don't you dare say a thing about this!"

"H-hello?"

"Ah, Tate. Where are you and Rose?" Nova asked.

"Just got a little lost, Nightingale" Tate said. He only ever called her that when he was annoyed with her, or if there was a matter of concern. He was hoping that Nova would get it's the second option.

"I'm gonna give The Doctor the phone. He wants to talk to Rose. Can you put her on?" 

"Sure, Nightingale, whatever you say" Tate held the phone out to Cass-Rose. "The Doctor wishes to talk to you"

"Very well. Give it here" Cass-Rose snatched the phone out of Tate's hand. She looked to Chip, and whispered. "How does she speak?"

"Old Earth Cockney" Chip answered.

Cass-Rose put the phone up to her ear. "Er, wotcha?"

* * *

The Doctor had Nova's phone to his ear. He paced back and forth as he talked with Rose. Nova knew something was going on when Tate answered. He was calling her Nightingale which he only ever did if there was an emergency, or if she had annoyed him. It definitely wasn't the latter.

"Where have you and Tate been? How long does it take to get to Ward 26?" The Doctor asked.

"We're on our way, governor. We shall proceed up the apples and pears" Cass-Rose said.

"You'll never guess. Nova and I are with the Face of Boe" He flashed a smile in Nova's direction. "Remember him?"

Cass-Rose let out an annoyed laugh. "Of course I do. That big old Boat race"

"I'd better go. See you in a minute" The Doctor said. He gave the phone back to Nova, and walked over to where the Duke of Manhattan was. Nova pressed the end call button and followed the Doctor. The Duke seemed to have had a fast recovery.

"Didn't think I was going to make it" The Duke looked at The Doctor and Nova. "It's that man again! And his beautiful girlfriend! They're my good luck charm. Come in. Don't be shy"

Nova blushed when she heard The Duke call him the Doctor's girlfriend. The two of them stepped closer to the Duke. Clovis looked at them. "Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract"

"Winch me up" The Duke requested. Clovis pressed and button, and the Duke's bed moved so that he was now sitting up. "Up! Look at me. No sign of infection"

A waiter approached the Doctor and Nova. He was carrying a tray with two glasses of champagne. "Champagne, sir and madam?"

"Don't mind if I do" Nova said. She grabbed a glass of champagne.

"No, thanks" The Doctor refused his glass. "You had Petrifold Regression, right?"

"That being the operative word. Past tense. Completely cured" the Duke said. A cheerful laugh followed.

"That's impossible" Nova mused, sipping from her glass of champagne.

Matron Casp approached them. "Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science"

"How on Earth did you cure him?" The Doctor asked.

"How on New Earth, you might say" 

Nova looked at the bags with an orange and blue liquid in them. "What's in that solution?" She asked.

"A simple remedy"

"Then tell us what it is" The Doctor urged.

"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp"

"This is Nova. I'm the Doctor"

"I think you'll find that we're the doctors here" 

Sister Jatt approached Casp. "Matron Casp, you're needed in Intensive Care"

"If you two would excuse me" Casp said to the Doctor and Nova. She walked away with Jatt. The two of them watched them.

"It's happened again. One of the patients is conscious" Jatt said.

"Oh, we can't have that" Casp replied.

The Doctor and Nova both looked at each other. The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets, as Nova crossed her arms over her chest. "Something's going on here, and I don't like it" Nova admitted.

"Neither do I" The Doctor agreed.

* * *

"This Doctor man is dangerous" Chip voiced his concerns to Cass-Rose. "And I'm not sure who this Nightingale is but she sounds just as dangerous as he does" 

Cass-Rose was fixing her appearance. She had unbuttoned Rose's shirt so the more of her cleavage was showing. "Dangerous and clever. I might need a mind like his. And maybe even this Nightingale's mind. Maybe I could even borrow her body? The Sisterhood is up to something. Remember that Old Earth saying, never trust a Nun? Never trust a Nurse. And never trust a cat. Perfume?"

Chip reached into his pocket and gave Cass-Rose a small vile. She stuffed it into her cleavage. She turned around to look at Tate. "And remember what I said, pretty boy. Say anything and you'll regret it"

* * *

Cass-Rose and Tate had finally found The Doctor and Nova. The two of them were walking around the cubicles. Nova was the first to spot their friends.

"There you two are" Nova exclaimed. She grabbed both Cass-Rose and Tate by the arms. What Nova didn't notice was Cass-Rose giving her a once over, followed by a smirk. "Come and look at this patient"

She brought them over to a patient who was just floating in mid-air. Nova stood by The Doctor as he explained what was wrong with the patient. "Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced"

"Then this one over here" Nova began as she walked over to another patient. He was as white as his dressing gown. "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine"

"We need to find a terminal" The Doctor decided. They all walked away from the cubicles. "We've got to see how they do this. Because if they've got the best medicine in the world..." He looked over to Nova and pointed at her.

"Then why is it such a secret?" she finished.

"I can't Adam and Eve it" Cass-Rose said. She glanced in Tate's direction. "Can you Adam and Eve it, pretty boy?"

"Nope" Tate shook his head. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what Cassandra could do to Rose, The Doctor, or Nova. Instead, he just had to play along. "I can't Adam and Eve it, either"

"What's with the voice?" The Doctor questioned Cass-Rose.

"Yeah, and since when did you start calling Tate pretty boy?" Nova glanced in her companion's direction. "That's my nickname for him"

"Well, he is a pretty boy" Cass-Rose answered Nova's question. She then looked at The Doctor. "And to answer your question" She paused. "Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth, new me" 

"Well, I can talk. New New Doctor" The Doctor responded.

"Mmm, aren't you just" Cass-Rose grabbed the Doctor and kissed him, long and hard. Nova and Tate just watched with utter confusion on their face. Well, Nova's was genuine confusion. Tate was feigning his confusion rather well. Cass-Rose pulled away from the Doctor, leaving him dazed. "Terminal's this way" She walked away.

"Yep, still got it" The Doctor followed after Cass-Rose. 

Nova looked towards Tate. "You ever kiss me like that, I'm leaving you on Mars" The two of them started following after Cass-Rose and the Doctor.

* * *

The four of them were looking at a computer terminal by the lift. "Nope, nothing odd" The Doctor said. "Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop"

"They should have a shop" Nova added, earning a nod of approval from The Doctor.

"No, it's missing something else" Cass-Rose began looking at the terminal. "When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?"

"You're right. Well done" The Doctor said.

"Why would they hide a whole department? It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame"

The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "What if the sub-frame's locked?"

"Try the installation protocol"

"Wow, look at you, _Rose_ " Nova gave her a pat on the back. "Using your brain" Cass-Rose looked at her, giving her a forced smile. The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the interface, and a wall slided down to reveal a corridor. Cass-Rose had a pursed smile on her face, and she stepped forward into the corridor. Tate followed after her, and then The Doctor and Nova followed after him. 

"Intensive Care" The Doctor mused. "Certainly looks intensive"

* * *

They made their way down the stairs of ICU. They came across a whole area just lined with cells. The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to open a cell at random. Inside the cell was a very sick looking man, covered in boils.

"That's disgusting" Cass-Rose commented.

"What's wrong with him?" Tate asked, voicing actual concern for the sickly man.

"I'm sorry" The Doctor apologized to the man. "I'm so sorry" He closed the cell. 

Nova pulled out her sonic screwdriver and used it to open the next one. Inside it was a woman, looking just as sick as the man. Her face was also covered in boils. "What disease is that?" Cass-Rose asked.

"All of them" Nova answered sadly.

"She's right" The Doctor backed her answer. "Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything"

"What about us?" Cass-Rose asked. "Are we safe?"

"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them" The Doctor closed the cell door.

"How many patients are there?"

"They're not patients"

"But they're sick"

"The Doctor is right. They are not patients" Nova began. " They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm"

"That's cruel" Tate said. The four of them made their way over to another row of cells. 

"Why don't they just die?" Cass-Rose asked. She had absolutely no remorse for any of the sick people.

"Plague carriers" The Doctor said. He stared at one of the cells. "The last to go"

They didn't see Hame standing a few feet away from them until she spoke. "It's for the greater cause" 

"Novice Hame," They began approaching her. "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?" 

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help"

"By killing!?" Nova raised her voice.

"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence"

"What's the turnover, hmm?" The Doctor's tone was laced in anger. "Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many!"

"Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh"

"Don't you try sugarcoating this!" Now it was Nova's turn to become angry. She stepped in front of Hame and got right in her face. "These people are alive"

"But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us"

Tate stepped in beside Nova. "What? And that's supposed to make this okay?" He motioned the cell they were standing beside. 

The Doctor stepped forward too, wedging himself in between Nova and Tate. "Tate's right" He agreed with his new friend. "If they live because of this, then life is worthless"

"But who are you to decide that?" Hame dared them.

"I'm The Doctor"

"And I'm The Nightingale" Both Time Lords took another step forward. "And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one"

"It stops with us!"

"Just to confirm," Cass-Rose spoke up. "None of the humans in the city actually know about this?"

"We thought it best not" Hame assured.

"Hold on" The Doctor said. "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Rose?"

"I don't know what you mean"

"And I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm" His voice was saying one thing, but his face was showing another. "And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed"

"I'd like it reversed too, please" Nova agreed.

"We haven't done anything" Hame confessed.

"I'm perfectly fine" Cass-Rose assured. The Doctor and Nova weren't buying it though.

"These people are dying, and Rose would care" The Doctor said.

Cass-Rose's head whipped in Tate's direction. "Did you snitch on me, pretty boy?" she growled at him.

"I didn't have to" Tate smirked. "They figured it out all on their own" He pointed between The Doctor and Nova.

"Oh, all right, clever clogs" Cass-Rose finally dropped the act. She grabbed the Doctor's tie. "Smarty pants" She then loosened the tie a little bit. "Lady-killer" She then let go of his tie and moved on to Nova. Cass-Rose grabbed a strand of Nova's hair and twirled it between her fingers. "And such a pretty little doll you are"

The Doctor growled, feeling the need to protect Nova from her. He stepped in between the two of them. "What's happened to you? And why would you make Tate lie to us?"

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out" Cass-Rose went over to Tate. She smirked and started running her fingers through his hair. "And as for pretty boy, I needed to make sure he wouldn't tattle on me. I figured a little threat here and there wouldn't hurt anybody"

"Don't you dare touch him!" Nova warned. She stepped out from behind The Doctor, and approached Cass-Rose. She grabbed her shoulder and made her turn around to face her. "Who are you anyway?"

"The last human" 

"Cassandra?" The Doctor asked.

"Wake up and smell the perfume" Cass-Rose spritzed her perfume in The Doctor, Nova, and Tate's faces. The three of them passed out and fell to the floor. The Doctor fell in front of Hame. She bent down to check on him.

"You've hurt them" she gasped. "I don't understand. I'll have to fetch Matron"

"You do that, because I want to see her. Now, run along. Sound the alarm!" Hame ran off, as Cass-Rose pulled on a power cable, setting off the alarm.


	4. New Earth 1.4

Cass-Rose stuffed The Doctor, Nova, and Tate all inside individual cells. The three of them had regained consciousness after being spritzed in the face with knockout perfume. Nova was the first to open her eyes and notice that they were trapped. The Doctor was to her left, and Tate was to her right. Cass-Rose walked up to Nova's cell. Chip was with her.

"Alright Cassandra," Nova began, narrowing her eyes at her friend's possessed body. "You'll let us out right now or you'll regret it"

Cass-Rose let out a laugh. " Aren't you lucky there were spares? Standing room only"

It was The Doctor's turn to speak. "You've stolen Rose's body!"

Cass-Rose stepped in front of his cell. She put her arm up on the glass and leaned against it "Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor" She smirked, and looked over at the other two. "And I might as well kill your new girlfriend, and your other friend too" Her attention went back to the Doctor. "And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've all got about three minutes left. Enjoy"

"Let Rose go, Cassandra" The Doctor pleaded.

"I will. As soon as I've found someone younger, and less common, then I'll junk her with the waste" Cass-Rose stood in front of Nova's cell once again. She crossed her arms, and eyed the woman up and down. "Or I might keep you alive after all, and just take your body. I could go far with a pretty face like yours. Now hushaby. It's showtime"

"No!" Tate screamed. He began banging his fist against the glass. "You're not having her!"

"Leave Nova alone!" The Doctor also begged.

Before Cass-Rose could do anything, Jatt and Casp approached. "Anything we can do to help?" Jatt asked.

"Straight to the point, Whiskers. I want money" Cass-Rose demanded.

"The Sisterhood is a charity" Casp told her. "We don't give money. We only accept"

"The humans across the water pay you a fortune, and that's exactly what I need" Cass-Rose took steps closer to Jatt and Casp. "A one-off payment, that's all I want. Oh, and perhaps a yacht. In return for which, I shall tell the city nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?"

"I'm afraid not"

"I'd really advise you to think about this"

"Oh, there's no need. I have to decline"

"I'll tell them!" Cass-Rose threatened, raising the volume of her voice. "And you've no way of stopping me. You're not exactly Nuns with Guns. You're not even armed"

"Who needs arms when we have claws?" Casp unsheathed her claws. The poked through the gloves she was wearing. She also growled at Cass-Rose.

"Well, nice try" Cass-Rose turned to look at Chip. "Chip? Plan B"

Chip pulled back a lever which opened all the cells. The Doctor, Nova, and Tate stepped out of the cells, as well as all the sick people. The Doctor and Nova looked at Cass-Rose, then to all the sick people. At the same time, they exclaimed, "What have you done?"

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!" Cass-Rose and Chip ran off.

"Don't touch them!" The Doctor warned Jatt and Casp. "Whatever you do, don't touch!" He, Nova, and Tate ran off after Cass-Rose and Chip. 

The five of them made it to a higher walkway where they saw that every single cell door had been opened. "Look what you did, Cassandra" Nova chastised.

"It wasn't me!" Cass-Rose retorted.

"Well, it definitely wasn't the Easter Bunny" Tate sassed her.

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra" The Doctor looked at her, and then to Nova and Tate. "And I want your bodies safe as well"

"There's only one way to go, and that's down" Nova decided.

"But there's thousands of them!" Cass-Rose cried.

"Then you better start running, body snatcher!" Tate urged her, even giving her a slight push in the direction of the stairs. The Doctor, Nova, Tate, Cass-Rose, and Chip all started running down the stairs.

* * *

They eventually made it down back into the basement. Cass-Rose tried the lift. " No, the lifts have closed down" The Doctor said. "That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving"

"This way!" Cass-Rose shrieked as she started running in the opposite direction. Everyone else followed after her. Chip got stuck behind a group of sick people. Nova stopped when she saw that he was trapped.

"Someone's gonna touch him!" she wallowed.

"Leave him!" Cass-Rose said. She grabbed Nova's arm and pulled her away. "He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half life. Come on!"

"Mistress!" Chip pleaded.

The Doctor looked back at him. "I'm sorry. We can't let her escape" 

* * *

The now group of four made it to a back room. Cass-Rose tried opening a door at the back of the room, but more sick people were on the outside. She gasped, and quickly closed the door. "We're trapped!" she wailed. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilised planet. You're compressing Rose to death" The Doctor said.

"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead"

"Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air" The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at Cass-Rose. "Now get out. Give her back to us, and don't you even think about going into Nova or Tate's body"

"You asked for it" Cass-Rose took a deep breath and expelled energy from her body which ended up going inside The Doctor.

"Blimey, my head" Rose was back to normal. Tate went over to. He placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Rose looked around. "Where'd she go?"

"Oh, my" The Doctor muttered. "This is different"

"Oh no" Nova mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Cassandra, you went into The Doctor, didn't you?"

"Well, I would've went in yours, but he insisted otherwise" Cass-Doctor smirked at her. "Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts. And hardly used" Cass-Doctor's body started jerking about. "Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of him!" Nova warned.

"Oo, he's slim, and a little bit foxy" Cass-Doctor raised his eyebrows at her. "He thinks you're foxy too" Cass-Doctor approached Nova. "He's been looking at you. And I can see it on your face. You've been looking at him too. You like him" The diseased people burst in. " What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?"

"Ladder" Rose spoke up. "We've got to get up!"

"Good thinking, Rose" Nova said. 

Cass-Doctor pushed Nova and Rose out of the way. "Out of the way, blondies!" He started climbing up the ladder. Nova managed to catch her balance, but Rose fell over. Luckily, Tate caught her before she hit the ground.

"Thanks" Rose muttered to him, a small grin on her face.

"Anytime" Tate returned the grin. "Now to the ladder"

Nova began climbing up the ladder, followed by Rose and then Tate. As they climbed, Rose started talking to Cassandra. "If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something. He can put his mind to work with Nova's"

"Yap, yap, yap. God, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city" Cass-Doctor complained. "Besides, why can't she just think of something? She's smart enough"

"You're the one in the front" Nova sassed.

"We're going to die if--" Rose was cut off by Tate letting out a frightened yelp. "Tate! Are you alright?" She asked, looking down at him.

"I'm in a situation here!" Tate referred to the fact that Casp was climbing with them and grabbing onto his ankle. "Let me go!" He tried kicking his foot out of the cat's grasp.

"All our good work. All that healing. The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything" Casp said.

"Go and play with a ball of string" Cass-Doctor said. He had stopped climbing.

"Everywhere, disease. This is the human world. Sickness!" A diseased hand touched Casp's ankle. She started becoming diseased herself. She fell of the ladder, screaming until she hit the ground. The diseased people were coming closer to Tate.

"Move!" Rose urged Cass-Doctor. "Or else they'll touch Tate!"

Cass-Doctor screeched and started climbing again. The other three followed suit. They made it up to a door but it was sealed shut. Cass-Doctor tried opening it. Rose and Tate both looked down to see a single diseased woman coming closer. "Now what do we do?" Cass-Doctor asked.

"Use the sonic screwdriver"

Cass-Doctor pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. He held it like it was dirty. "You mean this thing?"

"Yes, I mean that thing"

"You have one" Cass-Doctor said to Nova. "Why can't you use yours?"

Nova scowled at him. "You're closer to the door"

"Well, I don't know how. That Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts. Well, the thoughts that aren't about you, anyway"

"Cassandra, go back into me" Rose offered. "The Doctor can open it" Nova looked down at Rose, raising her eyebrows, almost like she was saying "are you serious?" Rose noticed. "It's fine, Nova" She spoke to Cass-Doctor again. "Do it!"

"Hold on tight" 

The energy left The Doctor and went back into Rose. "Oh, chavtastic again" Cass-Rose muttered. "Open it!"

"Not till you get out of her!" The Doctor said.

"We need the Doctor"

"I order you to leave her"

The energy left Rose and this time it went into Nova. "No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout" Cass-Nova complained, rolling her eyes at The Doctor. She then smiled, finally realizing where she was. "Oh, I like this body! She's got two hearts as well!"

"I didn't mean to go into Nova!" 

"Where else am I supposed to go?" Cass-Nova pouted. "If I go in you, they tell me to get out" Cass-Nova looked down at Rose. "I'm not allowed to stay in you. The only other option is pretty boy"

"You're not going into Tate either!" Rose said.

"Just do something, Cassandra" Tate shouted anxiously. "They're getting closer" He pointed at the diseased people getting closer and closer.

Cass-Nova crinkled her face in disgust. "Oh, I am so going to regret this" 

The energy left Nova and transferred to the diseased woman in front of the others. Immediately, she started complaining. "Oh, sweet Lord. I look disgusting" 

The Doctor got the door open. He, Nova, Rose, and Tate went through it. Before The Doctor closed the door, Cassandra managed to transfer her energy back into Nova. She fell to the ground and then sat against the wall. "That was your last warning, Cassandra!" The Doctor said.

Cass-Nova just stared at the ground as she spoke. "Inside her head. They're so alone. They keep reaching out, just to hold us. All their lives and they've never been touched" The Doctor offered his hand. Cass-Nova grabbed it, and he pulled her up. 

"We should keep going" Tate suggested. "See if there are others that are safe"

"Tate's right" Rose agreed. They began making their way back to Ward 26.

* * *

As soon as they reached Ward 26, Clovis charged at them with a metal stand. They all stepped back and put up their hands as the Doctor spoke to her. "We're safe! We're safe! We're safe! We're clean! We're clean! Look, look"

"Show me your skin!" Clovis demanded.

"Look, clean" The Doctor assured as the four of them presented their hands. "If we'd been touched, we'd be dead. So how's it going up here? What's the status?"

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad"

"You can't do that" The Doctor shook his head. "If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine"

"I am not dying in here"

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out. There is ten million people in that city. They'd all be at risk. Now, turn that off!"

"I'd listen to The Doctor if I were you" Rose added.

"Nova would be saying the same thing" Tate crossed his arms and let his eyes wander over to his possessed best friend. "If she had control over her body, that is"

"I'm not turning it off!" Clovis said. "Not if it gets me out"

"All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose, Tate, Nova, novice Hame, everyone!" The Doctor requested everyone's attention. "Excuse me, your Grace. Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!" Everyone started grabbing the drip bags while the Doctor collected a long piece of heavy silk rope. He tied it around his body. Cass-Nova, Rose, and Tate came over and helped him connect the drip bags to him. "How's that? Will it do?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know. Will it do for what?" Cass-Nova asked. The Doctor went over to the lift and opened the door. He had a pulley wheel with him. "The lifts aren't working"

"Not moving. Different thing" The Doctor took a few steps back from the lift. He slid his arm through the pulley wheel and put his sonic screwdriver between his teeth. He towards the lift, leaping and grabbing onto the lift cable. 

Cass-Nova peaked her head in. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going down!" He responded. "Come on"

Cass-Nova let out a laugh. "Not in a million years"

"I need another pair of hands"

"Why don't you ask Rose or pretty boy to go with you?"

"If you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little?" The Doctor dared her.   
"Besides, you're in Nova's body, and if she was in control of it, she wouldn't hesitate"

"Seal the door!" Clovis said. She sealed the door, leaving Cass-Nova and The Doctor trapped with the approaching disease. Cass-Nova had no choice but to jump and grab on to the Doctor.

"You're completely mad!" Cass-Nova commented. "I can see why she likes you. In fact, she's just as mad as you are"

The Doctor attached the pulley wheel to the cable. "Going down!" The two of them zipped down the cable. He put on the brakes before they could come crashing to the top of the lift. They came to a gentle stop.

Cass-Nova gasped, her chest heaving up and down. "Well, that's one way to lose weight"

"Now, listen" The Doctor said to her. "When I say so, take hold of that lever"

"There's still a quarantine down there, we can't--"

"Hold that lever! I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself" Cass-Nova kneeled down and gripped the lever. The Doctor began pouring the contents of the drip bags into the disinfectant tank. "Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got"

"What about you?"

"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in" He dropped down into the lift. He used his sonic screwdriver to open the lift doors. The diseased people turned to look at him. "I'm in here! Come on!" He coaxed them.

"Don't tell them!" Cass-Nova chastised him in a grated voice.

"Pull that lever!" The Doctor said. The diseased people started approaching the lift. The Doctor kept on coaxing them. "Come and get me. Come on! Hurry up! Come on!" Cass-Nova pulled the lever. Disinfectant started pouring and spraying into the lift. Some of the diseased people went into the lift and got drenched in the disinfectant. "All they want to do is pass it on. Pass it on!"

"Pass on what!?"

"Pass it on!" The disinfected humans started touching the diseased humans. In a matter of time, they were no longer diseased. The Doctor helped Cass-Nova into the lift.

"What did they pass on?" she wondered. "Did you kill them? All of them?"

"No. That's your way of doing things" The Doctor and Cass-Nova walked out of the lift. " I'm the Doctor, and I cured them" A woman came up and hugged the Doctor. "That's right. Hey, there we go, sweetheart. Go to him. Go on, that's it. That's it. It's a new sub-species, Cassandra. A brand new form of life. New humans! Look at them. Look! Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but completely, completely alive. You can't deny them, because you helped create them. The human race just keeps on going, keeps on changing. Life will out! Ha!"

* * *

The Doctor and Cass-Nova went back to Ward 26 where Rose and Tate were anxiously waiting for them. The NNYPD was also there to arrest all the hospital staff. When Rose and Tate saw that they returned, they ran up to them. 

"You're back!" Rose cheered. She looked The Doctor up and down. "And you're wet"

"You did it!" Tate smiled. "You cured them all!"

An announcement was made out about visitors making statements to the NNYPD. That made The Doctor remember something. "The Face of Boe!" They all ran over to the area of the ward where the Face of Boe was. The Face of Boe seemed to be much more alive than he was when they first arrived. "You were supposed to be dying"

"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait" The Face of Boe spoke telepathically to the four of them. 

"Oh, I hate telepathy" Cass-Nova complained. "Just what I need, a head full of big face" The Doctor shushed her. 

The Face of Boe continued. "I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew"

"There are legends, you know," The Doctor stepped in front of the Face of Boe and lowered himself. "Saying that you're millions of years old"

"There are? That would be impossible"

"Wouldn't it just? I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me"

"A great secret"

"So the legend says"

"It can wait"

"Oh, does it have to?"

"We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day" The Face of Boe beamed away.

"That is enigmatic" He nodded in approval. "That, that is, that is textbook enigmatic"

"That was amazing" Tate added. Rose looked at him, smiling and nodding in agreement.

The Doctor stood back up and looked to Cass-Nova. "And now for you"

Cass-Nova took a step back and folded her arms over her chest. "But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?"

"You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra"

"I don't want to die!" She started crying.

"No one does"

"Help me!"

"I can't!"

"Mistress!" Cass-Nova gasped in surprise when she saw Chip approach.

"Oh, you're alive!" Cass-Nova gleefully cried.

"I kept myself safe for you, mistress."

"A body. And not just that, a volunteer"

"Don't you dare. He's got a life of his own!" The Doctor said.

"I worship the mistress!" Chip said, looking at the Doctor. Cass-Nova winked. Chip looked back at her. "I welcome her"

"You can't, Cassandra--" The Doctor tried to stop her, but the energy left Nova's body and went into Chip's. Nova collapsed in the Doctor's arms. "You alright?" he asked her. He tried letting her go, but she nearly fell again. The Doctor caught her again, and held her close to him.

"Yeah" Nova rasped. She and The Doctor locked eyes again. They just stared at each other again. Rose and Tate both gave knowing smirks to each other. Nova smiled at The Doctor. She whispered only loud enough for him to hear her. "Hello"

The Doctor returned the smile. "Hello. Welcome back, Supernova" He couldn't help but get lost in her eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of blue that he's ever seen. "You've got..." He trailed off. She was making his two hearts beat hard against his chest.

"I've got what?" 

"Oh, sweet lord" Cass-Chip spoke up. The Doctor and Nova stepped away from each other. Cass-Chip held up his arms. "I'm a walking doodle"

"You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair" The Doctor scolded her. "I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done"

"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat, but I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last---" Cass-Chip collapsed. The Doctor and Nova caught him before he could fall to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Nova asked, genuinely concerned for Cassandra, no matter how much she was mad at her for invading her body and her personal thoughts.

"I'm dying" Cass-Chip realized. "But that's fine"

"I can take you to the city" The Doctor offered.

"No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me any more. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good"

"Come on" The Doctor said as he and Nova helped Cass-Chip stand up. "There's one last thing I can do"

* * *

Nova and Tate waited in her TARDIS while The Doctor and Rose were with Cassandra. Tate sat in one of the chairs while Nova walked in circles around the console. The Doctor said that he and Rose would only be five minutes.

"What are you thinking, Nova?" Tate asked. He knew she only wandered aimlessly when she was thinking about something.

"I've found him" Nova smiled. "I've found another like me. Oh, Tatum," Nova spoke her friend's full name as she approached him. She pulled him into a hug. "I never thought I would. I thought it was just me left" She ended the hug but kept a hold on his shoulders. "I'm not alone anymore"

Tate smiled. "And I'm happy for you, Nova, I really am. But what are we gonna do now? Are we going to travel with him and Rose for a while?"

"Of course!" Nova threw her hands up in excitement. "Why wouldn't we? Well..." She put her hands on her hips. She began pacing back and forth. "Maybe a few reasons. We should only use one TARDIS. Attracts less unwanted attention that way. Perhaps we could alternate between them" Now she was just rambling to herself. "Oh! And then there's--"

"Nova!" Tate made her stop pacing. "What about that very important task we were giving by our very important friends?"

"Right, that" Nova walked over to the console. She started began typing. "I haven't found any of the others. I only know of the one, and he refuses to give it to us, no matter how much I tell him it would be safer with us"

Tate nodded, knowing exactly who she was talking about. "Yeah, he is a very stubborn man. But he's quite good at magic tricks. Should we tell The Doctor and Rose about it? Maybe they could help us"

"They can't know. Not yet" Nova shook her head. "Not until I learn more about another one's location" She heard the familiar whirring of a TARDIS. "Speaking of The Doctor and Rose, our new friend's have returned" Nova and Tate stepped out just in time to see the blue box materialise. The Doctor and Rose stepped out. "How'd it go?"

"She's gone" The Doctor said. Nova saddened at the news. Sure Cassandra was a bitch but she never wished death upon her. 

"The Doctor and I have been thinking something over" Rose started, not being able to help the smile on her face. "We would love it if you two travelled with us"

"Really?" Tate piped up. "Nova and I were discussing the same thing"

"Yay!" Rose jumped for joy. "What do you say, Nova?"

Nova looked to The Doctor who was watching her intently with a smile on his face. She grinned back at him. "We'd be honoured, Doctor and Rose Tyler"

"Great!" Rose cheered again. "Whose TARDIS are we taking? Doctor's or Nova's?"

"I'd fancy a trip in the blue box first" Nova decided. Then she looked back at her TARDIS. "But I've got to park Baby first. She's got her own special parking spot"


	5. A Bit Of Bonding

Nova's TARDIS materialised inside of a highly secured garage area. There were expensive cars and vehicles including a jet. There were also cases containing high tech gadgets and weapons.

When ever her and Tate weren't travelling, her TARDIS always remained safe inside this garage. The Doctor's TARDIS materialised moments after Nova's did. Rose stepped out first.

"Wow" Rose whistled. "It's quite the parking lot you've got here"

"Well, it's not mine per say" Nova said. "It belongs to our friends. We did them a favour once, and this is one of their ways of thanking us" She ran a hand along her Volkswagen. "Keeping my TARDIS safe"

"Who are these friends exactly?" Rose wondered.

Tate smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Maybe we'll introduce you some other time"

The Doctor finally stepped out of the TARDIS. His eyes lit up when he saw where they were. "Wow! Look at this place!" He began walking around, examining everything with a wide smile. "An impressive safekeeping spot for a TARDIS, and very well secured"

"Yep" Nova nodded. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. "Mine and Tate's friends make sure of that"

Suddenly, a voice started speaking, startling both The Doctor and Rose. However, Nova and Tate knew who it was. "Welcome back, Miss Galvin and Mr Peltzer" The voice spoke in the same Irish accent that the both of them had. "Shall I inform everyone of your arrival?"

"No need, F.R.I.D.A.Y. Just popping in for a quick visit" Nova explained.

"Understood"

"By the way, I have some new friends here with me. This is The Doctor and Rose Tyler"

"Pleasure to meet you both"

Rose seemed utterly confused by the voice. "Uh," she hesitated. "Nice to meet you too, F.R.I.D.A.Y"

"Thank you, Rose Tyler" the voice said once more before disappearing.

The Doctor's grin seemed to be wider than before. "That was brilliant!" He gushed. "A natural-language user interface. What does F.R.I.D.A.Y stand for?"

"Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant Youth" Nova explained.

"One of our friends designed F.R.I.D.A.Y." Tate answered. "With a little help from Nova of course"

"It called you Miss Galvin" Rose mentioned.

"That's just the name I go by when I'm not being the Nightingale. Nova Galvin. It was actually our friends that helped me come up with the name"

Rose nodded. "So, I was wondering something. Before we go off on our next adventure, could you show me around your TARDIS, Nova?" She clasped her hands together and tucked them under her chin. "I want to see how it compares with The Doctor's"

"Absolutely!" Nova smiled. She looked to The Doctor. "Would you like to join us, Doctor? Or should I put a rain check on your tour?"

"Rain check, please" He answered with a polite smile. "I've got to prepare for our next trip" The Doctor went back into his TARDIS, beckoning Tate to join him. "I'll show you around, Tate"

"Sounds good" Tate said. He turned to face the girls. "Have fun on your tour. Make sure to show Rose your record collection, Nova" Tate then followed after The Doctor.

"Well, Rose" Nova opened the doors to her Volkswagen TARDIS. "After you"

* * *

"Wow!" Rose gasped in amazement when she set foot in Nova's TARDIS. "It's amazing in here. I love the white!"

"Thank you" Nova grinned.

"I am curious though" Rose stood at the console. "Why a Volkswagen?"

Nova laughed. "Why a blue police public call box?"

Rose smiled and pointed a finger at her friend. "Got me there" She then shrugged. "I don't know. He said something about the chameleon circuit being stuck or something"

"I may have purposefully damaged mine" Rose looked at her and gasped dramatically. "Hey, I landed in the nineteen seventies on my very first trip to Earth. It camouflaged into the Volkswagen, I liked it, hit the circuit very hard with a wrench, and that's how I wound up with Baby"

"Well, I love it. I love your whole look in general" Rose gestured to Nova's outfit. "Very vintage"

"Thanks Rose. Would you like to see my record collection?"

"Yes!" Rose grinned as Nova motioned her to follow. They linked arms and went off to the collection room.

* * *

Meanwhile, The Doctor and Tate were waiting in the other TARDIS for the girls. "What do you think is taking them so long?" The Doctor asked.

"Nova is probably showing Rose her collection room. She loves collecting vintage items, including records" Tate said.

"How long have you and Nova been travelling together?"

Tate thought about it for a moment. "A year. I remember the day I met her. She knocked on my door, I answered it, she mumbled something about regenerating, and then she passed out

"I brought her inside and let her sleep in my bed for two days. The third day, I found her rummaging through my fridge and my cupboards like it was her house"

The Doctor could picture her doing just that and he smiled at the idea. He leaned against the console, and shoved his hands in his pocket. "So, you and her aren't... you know...."

Tate knew what he meant and shook his head. "No. I mean, at first I thought she was really pretty, and I flirted with her a little bit," He admitted. "But she said it wouldn't work between us. I respected that, and now she's my best friend. She's practically like my sister"

* * *

Rose and Nova were laughing up a storm as they shared stories with each other. "I'm serious!" Nova said. "The TARDIS _really_ wanted me and Tate to kiss so she started playing this love song to set the mood"

"That's gold!" Rose laughed, slapping her knee.

"I had a long chat with her that night" She smirked over at Rose. "By the way, Tate is single"

"I don't like him like that!" Rose couldn't even say it with a straight face. "Okay, maybe I do, a little bit. I do, however, already have a boyfriend. His name is Mickey"

Nova saw Rose's expression change, so she decided to change the subject. "Hey, if you ever want a trip where it's just us girls, you let me know"

"I'd really like that," Rose paused. She put her hand on Nova's arm. " _Sister_. I've always wanted one, you know"

Nova smiled at Rose before bringing her into a hug. "Hey, before we join the boys, I'd like to give you something" Nova walked over to a wall of shelves containing many jewellery boxes. She grabbed a small velvet box.

"What's this?" Rose asked with curiosity. She took the box from Nova.

"Open it and find out" Nova urged. Rose opened the box and saw a mood ring inside. "And it's not just any mood ring. It's one that'll show you a whole bunch of different planets, stars, constellations, and all kinds of space phenomena. And of course, the image changes on your mood

"When your feeling happy, it'll show you an image of a planet. When your upset or scared, it'll show you something like a meteor or a black hole. And my favourite is what it shows for love. It'll show you stars, constellations, the births of stars, and supernovas"

"This is amazing" Rose began tearing up. "Thank you, Nova. Both you and The Doctor are so amazing. You're perfect for each other"

"We're what?" Nova asked. She wanted to make sure that she heard Rose right. "Perfect for each other?"

Rose just giggled and shook her head. "Oh, never mind. Let's get back to them. We've probably kept them waiting so long, I wouldn't be surprised if they left without us" They were just about to leave the TARDIS when Rose stopped Nova. "By the way, what would be your idea of a perfect date?"

Nova raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Rose shrugged and pursed her lips. "Just wondering"

"Believe it or not, I've never seen an actual supernova" Nova answered.

"Good to know" Rose muttered to herself, smirking as she did so. She'd have to remember that and mention it to The Doctor.


	6. Tooth and Claw 2.1

Rose and Nova had joined The Doctor and Tate in the other Tardis. They still had their arms linked together, and Rose even put on the ring that Nova gave her. "What took you two so long?" The Doctor interrogated, smiling at them. He was glad to see them getting along.

"Oh, Nova had quite a bit to show me, and she had a few stories to tell me" Rose said, sending a wink in Tate's direction.

He sighed and shook his head, but with a smile. "I'm guessing she told you about the story about how her Tardis started playing this love song because she was trying to set the mood for us to--"

"Kiss!" Rose finished. "She wanted you two to kiss!"

"I'm sorry, but your Tardis wanted you to what?" The Doctor asked, glancing between Nova and Tate. 

"Oh, don't worry, Doctor" Rose said as she walked over to him. She gave him a pat on the back. "Nova's all yours" 

Both Time Lords suddenly became very flustered. Nova blushed deeply and The Doctor began stuttering his words. "R-Rose, I don't know w-what you m-mean"

"So," Nova began, wanting to move on. "Where are we headed off to?"

"I've decided on the late nineteen seventies" The Doctor answered. This caused Nova to grin. The seventies was her absolute favorite time period. "Rose and Tate, you might want to go change" The Doctor suggested.

"Come on, Tate" Rose grabbed his hand. "I'll show you where you can get dressed" She and Tate went off, leaving Nova and The Doctor alone.

"What made you decide on the late seventies for our first trip together?" Nova questioned, leaning against the railing. The Doctor smiled at her. 

"I know that you adore the decade" He answered. He stood with her against the railing.

"You chose the destination while thinking of me?" Nova was incredibly flattered. She looked down and started fiddling with her sleeve. "That's really sweet of you, Doctor"

The Doctor looked down at Nova what adoration in his eyes. "Supernova?" She looked up at him. "I think that I---"

"What do you think of this?" Rose asked as she and Tate rejoined The Doctor and Nova. Rose was wearing a purple t-shirt with denim mini-dungarees with black leggings and brown boots. Tate was wearing a white t-shirt with jeans and a leather jacket. He topped it off with a pair of sneakers. "Will these do?"

The Doctor and Nova quickly stepped away from each other. The Doctor went over to the console as he commented. "In the late 1970s? You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on," He popped a CD into the Tardis player. "Listen to this" Music began playing. "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979"

"You're a punk" Rose quipped.

"It's good to be a lunatic" 

"That's what you are. A big old punk with a bit of rockabillly thrown in" Rose looked over at Nova. "What about you, Nova? You a punk?"

"Nope" Tate answered for her. "She's a disco queen. There's not a moment where she's not playing ABBA, Bee Gees or Donna Summer"

"Would you like to see him?" The Doctor asked, referring back in Ian Dury.

"How'd you mean? In concert?" Rose asked.

"What else is a Tardis for?" The Doctor began circling around the Tardis, and Rose followed suit. "I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?"

"Sheffield it is"

"I agree" Tate added. "Sheffield"

"Hold on tight" The Doctor pulled a lever. As they travelled, he began beating to the beat of the song with a hammer against the console. Then they came to a sudden stop, and the four of them were thrown on the floor. They all laughed and stood up. " 1979. Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam"

"The Muppet Movie" Nova added.

"Love that film!" The Doctor smiled at her. He grabbed his coat and put it on. "Margaret Thatcher. Urgh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb" They exited the Tardis. "And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to--" They stopped when rifles cocked in their direction. "My thumb" The Doctor, Nova, Rose, and Tate all put their hands up.

"1879" Nova shrugged. "Same difference"

"You will explain your presence" A man on a horse, named Reynolds asked. He was pointing a gun at them. "And the nakedness of this girl" He only referred to Rose oddly enough. Nova was bearing more skin than she was.

"You're just as naked" Rose whispered to her.

"Are we in Scotland?" The Doctor asked, feigning a Scottish accent.

"How can you be ignorant of that?" Reynolds asked.

"Oh, I'm, I'm dazed and confused. My wife and I," The Doctor motioned to Nova. "We've been chasing these, this wee naked child and her brother, over hill and over dale. Isn't that right, ya timorous beasties?" He looked at Rose and Tate.

"Och, aye!" Rose said, completely butchering her fake Scottish accent. "We've been oot and aboot"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, don't do that"

"Hoots mon"

"No, really don't. Really"

"Will you identify yourself, sir?" Reynolds asked.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory. This is my wife, Nora McCrimmon" He nodded at Nova, who in turn flashed a smile at the man on the horse. "I have my credentials, if I may"

"I also have credentials" Nova spoke, speaking a perfect Scottish accent. This surprised The Doctor and Rose. Tate wasn't so surprised. If they thought her Scottish was good, they should hear her American accent. Both The Doctor and Nova pulled out their psychic paper and presented it to the man. "You'll see that I'm a doctor as well"

"As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. That's actually where my wife and I met" 

"We trained under Doctor Bell himself"

"Let them approach" An upper-class English accent spoke from a carriage nearby.

"I don't think that's wise ma'am" Reynolds said.

"Let them approach"

"You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference"

The Doctor, Nova, Rose, and Tate all began approaching the carriage. A footman opened the door, revealing Queen Victoria sitting inside. "Rose, Tate, might we introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith" The Doctor said.

Tate bowed to her. "The name is Tate Peltzer, your majesty"

Rose curtsied. "Rose Tyler, Ma'am. And my apologies for being so naked"

"I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials" Victoria requested. She looked at Nova. "Yours too, Madam" Both of them gave their psychic paper to the Queen. She read them both. "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have both been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protectors"

"Does it?" The Doctor questioned. The Queen gave them back their psychic paper. The Doctor looked at his. "Yes, it does. Good. Good"

"Let us ask," Nova began. "Why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"

"A tree on the line" Victoria answered.

Nova raised an eyebrow. "An accident?"

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned"

"An assassination attempt?" The Doctor asked.

"What, seriously?" Rose mused.

"People are out to kill you?" Tate asked Victoria.

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun" Victoria answered like it was nothing serious.

"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence" Reynolds spoke up. "We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow"

"This Doctor, his wife, and their timorous beasties will come with us"

"Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall"

"Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!"

The carriage began moving forward. The Doctor, Nova, Rose and Tate followed behind the carriage with the soldiers. "It's funny though," Rose began. "Because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her"

"1879?" The Doctor said. "She's had, oh," He looked over to Nova. "Nova, what would you say? Six attempts on her life?"

Nova nodded in agreement. "And I'll tell you three something else" She paused for dramatic effect. "We've just met Queen Victoria!"

"I know!" Rose squealed in excitement. 

"What a laugh!" The Doctor added.

"She was just sitting there" Tate mentioned. 

"Like a stamp" Nova said.

"I want her to say we are not amused. I bet you five quid I can make her say it" Rose said.

"Wait, I want in on this" Tate grinned mischievously.

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveller in time" The Doctor said.

"Let's make it interesting" Nova suggested. "If Victoria says it, I owe Tate ten quid, and you Doctor, owe Rose ten quid"

"Ooh, I like that" Rose smiled, linking her arm with Nova's. "Let's do that"

The Doctor mulled it over. "Deal"

* * *

They made it to Torchwood House where they would be spending the night. A man with dark hair, Sir Robert, came out of the house to greet Victoria. Some of the servants also stepped out of the house. Robert approached the carriage. The Tardis team stood off to the side, watching Robert bow to Victoria. "Your Majesty"

"Sir, Robert" Victoria greeted. "My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"

"She's indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her. The kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on"

"Oh, not at all. I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate" Victoria had a remiscant smile on her face. "Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girl" Victoria looked to Rose.

"Sorry" Rose apologized.

"She's a feral child" The Doctor began, linking Nova's hand in his to pass the illusion of them being husband and wife. "We bought her and the boy for sixpence in old London Town. It's was them or the Elephant Man, so" The Doctor shrugged.

"Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused" Rose nodded towards Victoria. "What do you think, Ma'am?"

"It hardly matters" Victoria looked to Robert again. "Shall we proceed?"

Tate leaned in closer to Rose. "You were so close"

"We'll get that money" She winked at him. Queen Victoria went inside the house.

" Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the property. Hurry up" Reynolds requested of his soldiers. The soldiers grabbed a small box and carried it into the house. The Tardis team watched with intrigue.

"So what's in there, then?" The Doctor asked.

"Property of the Crown" Reynolds answered. "You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir" The Doctor looked at Nova, and winked at her. "The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions" The soldiers did as they were told as the Tardis team made their way into the house.


	7. tooth and claw 2.2

Robert brought Victoria and the Tardis team into the observatory. In the observatory, was a massive bronze telescope. "This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour" Victoria said.

"All my father's work" Robert explained. "Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself"

The same impressed smile appeared on The Doctor and Nova's faces."I wish I'd met him. I like him" The Doctor said. "That thing's beautiful" He looked over to Nova, who was still staring in awe at the telescope. "Almost as beautiful as..." He caught himself speaking his thoughts out loud. His attention turned back to the telescope. "Can I?"

"Help yourself" Robert permitted.

The Tardis team got closer to the telescope. "What did he model it on?" Nova asked.

"I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories"

"It's a bit rubbish" The Doctor commented. "How many prisms has it got? Way too many" Rose shook her head, and walked over to him. "The magnification's gone right over the top. That's stupid kind of--" The Doctor leaned in to Rose. "Am I being rude again?"

"Yep" She nodded.

"But it's pretty" The Doctor nodded, quickly correcting his words. "It's very pretty"

"And the imagination of it should be applauded" Victoria added as she approached.

"Mmm. Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty" Rose said. She really wanted Victoria to say those three magic words. She took another chance at it. "Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily not be amused, or something? No?"

"This device surveys the infinite work of God" Victoria spoke. Rose huffed in disappointment, as Tate chuckled at her. "What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales"

"Stars and magic" Nova mused dreamily.

"I like him more and more" The Doctor added.

"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company" Victoria reminisced. "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg"

"That's Bavaria"

Victoria turned in Robert's direction. "When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported"

Nova's curiosity sparked. "What's this wolf, then?"

Robert shrugged. "It's just a story"

"Then tell it" 

Robert seemed very hesitant to talk about the wolf. "It's said--"

One of the servants cut him off. "Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark"

Robert nervously glanced back at the servant and then to his guests with a smile. "Of course" He agreed. "Yes, of course"

"And then supper" Victoria suggested. She turned to look at Rose. "And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness"

"It's not amusing, is it?" Rose said, perhaps a little louder than she should have.

Victoria looked back at her, then to Robert, ignoring Rose's statement. Tate started laughing quietly as he leaned into Rose. She began laughing with him. "Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight"

"So there is, ma'am"

* * *

Rose was looking through a wardrobe for a dress to wear. She heard a knock on her temporary bedroom door. "Come in!" she invited. The door opened and Tate walked in. Rose smiled when she saw him. "Hello Tate. You look very dashing" 

"Oh, thank you" Tate grinned. He changed into a tailored suit with a long coat. "I would have worn the top hat, but I just would have looked silly"

"I would love to see you in a top hat" Rose laughed as she reached into the wardrobe. She pulled out a blue velvet dress with white tassels on it. She held it against her. "What do you think of this?"

"I think you would look very beautiful in it"

Rose blushed and smiled at him. "Thank you" She placed the dress on the bed and walked over to another wardrobe. "How come nobody was calling Nova naked? She's wearing pretty much the same thing as me, just with more leg" Rose opened the other wardrobe and screamed when she saw a woman hiding inside it.

"Please, don't scream" The woman said. "I don't mean you any harm"

"Why are you hiding in a wardrobe?" Tate asked.

The woman stepped out of the wardrobe. She went over to the bed and sat down. Rose and Tate joined her, sitting on either side of her. The frightened woman began to explain. "They came through the house. In the excitement they took the Steward and the Master, and my Lady"

"Listen" Rose started. She grabbed onto the woman's hand. "We've got two friends. The Doctor and The Nightingale. They'll know what to do. You've got to come with us"

"But I can't Miss" the woman shook her head.

"What's your name?" Tate asked.

"Flora"

"Flora" Rose repeated. "We'll be safe. There's more people arrived downstairs, soldiers and everything, and they can help us. I promise. Come on. Okay? Come on" The three of them got off the bed. Rose opened the bedroom door and peeked her head into the corridor. She looked both left and right, checking to see if the coast was clear. "Alright. It's clear. I'll stay in front, while Tate will stay behind you"

The three of them carefully walked out of the room. The moment they round a corner, they found one of the soldiers lying on the floor. "Oh, Mister and Miss" Flora gasped. "I did warn you" Rose and Tate both got down beside him to check whether he was alive or not. Rose checked for a pulse on his neck, while Tate looked for one on his wrist. 

"He's not dead" Rose said.

"He's probably drugged or something" Tate concluded. Out of nowhere, Father Angelo, posing as a servant, came up from behind and grabbed Flora. Two more monks posing as servants grabbed Rose and Tate, and a fourth came to remove the soldier from the corridor.

* * *

After dealing with Flora, Rose, and Tate, Angelo made his way to the dining area. "Your companions beg an apology, Mr. and Mrs. Doctor" He said to The Doctor and Nova. The two of them sat beside each other while Victoria and Reynolds sat across from them. Robert sat on the other side of Nova. "The girl's clothing has somewhat delayed her, and as for the boy, I'm afraid he said he has fallen ill. He's currently resting"

"Oh, that's all right" The Doctor said. "Save them a wee bit of ham"

"The feral children could probably eat it raw" Victoria chided.

Reynolds let out a laugh. "Very wise, Ma'am. Very witty"

"Slightly witty, perhaps. I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me, Captain, but don't get too excited. I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury"

Reynolds hung his head, almost in shame. "Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am"

"Besides, we're all waiting on Sir Robert" Nova turned her head to look at the man. "You promised us a tale of nightmares"

"Indeed" Victoria agreed. "Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction"

"You must miss him" The Doctor wondered.

"Very much" Her eyes wandered down. They had become clouded in sadness. "Oh, completely. And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scares and chills, that's just for children" Victoria perked herself up. "But the hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from that place. It's the Creator's greatest mystery that we're allowed no such consolation. The dead stay silent, and we must wait" She had become riddled with sadness once again, but just as quickly brushed it off with a sigh. "Come. Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters"

"The story goes back three hundred years" Robert began telling the story. "Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and devoured"

"Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves" Reynolds voiced his skepticism. "Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that" He planted his elbows on the table and linked his hands together.

"But sometimes a child goes missing. Once in a generation, a boy will vanish from his homestead"

"Are there descriptions of the creature?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, yes, Doctor. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal"

The Doctor and Nova looked at each other. An excited grin was plastered on their faces. "A werewolf" Nova gasped.

* * *

Rose, Tate, Flora and others were locked down in the cellar. Also in the cellar, was a young monk sitting in a caged crate. "Don't make a sound" Flora warned. "They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us"

Rose and Tate gave each other looks. "But he's in a cage" Rose stated.

Tate nodded. "He's a prisoner. He's the same as us"

"He's nothing like us" Flora tried telling the two of them. "That creature is not mortal" The caged man opened his eyes. They were pure black. Rose stood up and started moving towards the crate as far as her chain would let her. 

"Don't, child" A woman named Isobel warned.

Rose ignored her. She tried speaking to the man in the crate. "Who are you?"

"Don't enrage him" a steward said.

"Just let her try talking" Tate said. Rose looked at him, and he nodded his head, urging her to continue. "Go on, Rose"

Rose nodded and then looked back over at the crate. "Where are you from? You're not from Earth. What planet are you from?"

"Oh, intelligence" the caged man sang. "I sense it from your friend, too"

"Where were you born?"

"This body? Ten miles away. A weakling, heartsick boy, stolen away at night by the brethren for my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart"

"All right" Tate said. He got up and also approached the crate. He got as far as Rose could. "The body's human. But you're not. You're a thing inside a body, but what exactly?"

"If you want to get back home, we can help" Rose offered.

"Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose" the caged man said.

"How would you do that?"

"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch"

Tate's eyes widened when he realized what the man meant. "You mean Queen Victoria?"

"With one bite, I would pass into her blood, and then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf. Many questions" The man lunged, making everyone else gasp and flinch. "Look. Inside your eyes. You've seen it too" He spoke mainly to Rose.

"Seen what?" She asked.

"The Wolf. There is something of the Wolf about you"

"Rose?" Tate glanced at her. What would she have to do with wolves? "What's he talking about?"

"I don't know" She answered with a shrug.

"You burnt like the sun," The man growled, now baring his teeth. They were human teeth but it was still unsettling. "But all I require is the moon"


	8. Tooth And Claw 2.3

"My father didn't treat it as a story" Robert was still telling the story about the werewolf. The full moon outside, shined in through the windows, adding ambience for the story. "He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose" At some point during the story, Angelo walked over to the window and gazed out of it. He began chanting. "I should have listened. His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations"

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly" Victoria said.

"That's what I thought. But now I wonder" The Doctor and Nova noticed that Angelo was chanting near the window. Their gazes wandered to him. "What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?"

"And what if they were with us right now?" The Doctor asked.

Victoria shot up from her sit, as did Reynolds. "What is the meaning of this!?" The Queen demanded. "What's happening?"

Reynolds accusingly pointed his finger at Robert. "Explain yourself, sir!"

Robert turned his head to look at Victoria and Reynolds. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife"

The Doctor and Nova marched over to Angelo, who was still staring out the window and chanting. "Rose and Tate! Where are they?" The Doctor demanded to know their whereabouts. He grabbed Nova's hand. "Come on!" The two of them left the dining room. Robert followed after them. Victoria stayed behind with Reynolds, who had his revolver trained on the monk.

* * *

The cellar doors flung open and the moonlight shone on the crate. The man in the crate smiled and closed his eyes. "Moonlight" He sighed. He removed his cloak as an unnatural wind blow into the cellar. His transformation into a werewolf was starting. 

"All of you! Stop looking at it!" Rose warned. Everyone closed their eyes and turned their heads. "Flora, don't look. Listen to me. Grab hold of the chain and pull! Come on! With me! Pull!"

Rose and Tate both stood up. Everyone else followed suit. "You heard what Rose said!" Tate said. "Everyone start pulling!" Isobel's gaze was still on the man. Tate had to pry her attention away. "You too, your ladyship! Pull!"

The crated man was becoming more vulpine by the second. Rose and Tate were still urging the others to pull the chain. The man had finally become a full werewolf. As it examined its paws, Rose, Tate and the other prisoners managed to pull the chain enough times that it broke free of the wall.

* * *

The Doctor, Nova, and Robert ran through the corridor until they came to the cellar. The Doctor kicked opened the door. Rose saw them first and angrily interrogated them. "Where the hell have you two been?"

"Yeah!" Tate barked. "We've been stuck down here with a bloody werewolf!" He pointed in the werewolf's direction..

The Doctor and Nova turned around to see what the werewolf looked like. Despite the tense situation, the both of them couldn't help but admire its beauty. They both paused to stare at it, smiles and all, while everyone was panicking behind them. "Oh, that's beautiful!" The Doctor mused.

"It truly is!" Nova agreed. The werewolf broke out of the crate. "Everyone out!" Everyone made their way out of the room. Of course the two Time Lords had to stay an extra minute to admire it. That is, until the werewolf threw a piece of the crate at them and they ducked to dodge it. The Doctor grabbed Nova's hand again and they left the cellar, making sure to close the door behind them and lock it with a sonic screwdriver.

* * *

The first place everyone went to was the gun room to get something to protect themselves with. A steward was handing out guns to all the men. Robert and Isobel reunited with each other.

"I can't leave you!" Isobel cried to her husband. "What will I do?"

"I must defend her Majesty. Now, don't think of me, just go" 

Isobel kissed Robert. After that, she was urging all the women to go with her. "All of you, at my side. Come on!"

Both The Doctor and Nova were removing the shackles from Rose and Tate with their sonic screwdrivers. "It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths" The Doctor said. "Did it say what it wanted?"

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne - you name it" Rose answered.

A noise came from outside. It sounded like something bursting through a wooden door. "Stay here" Nova said. The Doctor grabbed her wrist before she could leave. She looked up at him and saw the worried look in his eyes.

"Please," he begged. "Be careful"

Nova smiled and caressed his cheek. "I will" The Doctor gave her smile before she stepped foot into the empty corridor. Even though it was dark, the only source of light coming from the moon outside, she could clearly see the werewolf standing at the end of the corridor. It growled and made eye contact with her. It snarled at her and she took that as a sign to run back into the room. She ran right to The Doctor, who caught her and protectively wrapped his arms around her. "It's coming!" she warned.

A line of men stood with their guns ready to fire. The werewolf tried entering the room, but the men fired their guns, scaring the creature away for now. "All right, you men" The Doctor said. "We should retreat upstairs. Come with me"

The steward turned to look at The Doctor. "I'll not retreat" He stated. "The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault"

"I'm telling you," The Doctor stepped closer to the steward. "come upstairs!"

"And I'm telling you, sir, I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall" The steward took a step into the corridor and then looked back. He had a prideful smirk on his face. "It must have crawled away to die" He spoke too soon because he was hoisted up to the ceiling by the werewolf. 

"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor admitted. He gave both Rose and Tate a gentle push, urging them to run ahead up the stairs, before he grabbed onto Nova's hand and ran alongside her.

* * *

In the staircase, the Tardis team and Robert reunited with Victoria. "Your Majesty?" Robert beckoned out to her. "Your Majesty!"

"Sir Robert?" Victoria asked as she came running down the stairs. "What's happening? I've heard such terrible noises!" 

"Your Majesty, we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?"

Victoria hesitated a bit before answering. "Captain Reynolds disposed of him"

The Doctor came back from checking the front door. "The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty. You'll have to leg it out of a window"

Victoria held her head up high as lead the way into the drawing room. Robert then stepped in front of her. "Excuse my manners, Ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress"

"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh" Victoria agreed.

The Doctor spoke in his natural London accent. "Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" Robert opened the window and the monks outside opened fire. Everyone ducked down for cover. "I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside"

"Do they know who I am??" Victoria asked incredulously.

"Yeah, that's why they want you" Rose said.

"I'm afraid Rose is right" Tate backed up. "He's got you lined up for a biting"

"Both of you, stop this talk!" Victoria scolded quietly. "There can't be an actual wolf"

There was a howl. Everyone rushed back into the corridor. The werewolf was trying to break through the door. "What do we do?" Rose asked.

"We run" The Doctor suggested.

"Is that it?" Rose scoffed. "Nova, got any other suggestions?"

"Not unless any of you have any silver bullets" Nova answered.

"Not on me, no" Rose quirked her head at her. "I doubt Tate's got any either" She looked at Tate and he just shook his head.

"Then we do what The Doctor says an run" Nova turned to Victoria. "Your Majesty, I'd take The Doctor's advice, and go for a vigourous jog. Good for the health. Come on!" Nova took Victoria's hand. They all started running up the stairs. The werewolf managed to break down the door and it began to follow them.

* * *

When they came to the library corridor, the werewolf was nearly upon them. Luckily, Reynolds was waiting. He shot the werewolf and it retreated. " I'll take this position and hold it" He volunteered. "You keep moving, for God's sake! Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty"

"I have it" Victoria spoke in shallow breaths. "It's safe"

"Then remove yourself, Ma'am. Doctor and Miss Nova, you stand as Her Majesty's Protectors" Reynolds reloaded his revolver. "And you, Sir Robert, you're a traitor to the crown"

"Bullets can't stop it!" The Doctor warned.

"They'll buy you time. Now run!" 

While Reynolds stayed behind, everyone else retreated into the library. Well, everyone besides Rose and Tate. They stayed in the corridor and watched in horror as the werewolf tore Reynolds apart. The Doctor grabbed both of them by the shoulders and dragged them into the library. "Barricade the door!" Robert said as they shut the door. Everyone started grabbing large and heavy pieces of furniture and piled them in front of the door.

"Wait a minute" The Doctor shushed. "Shush, shush, wait a minute" He pressed his ear up against the door. The werewolf let out a lonely howl. "It's stopped" He listened as the werewolf sniffed against the door. It then left. The Doctor looked to everyone. "It's gone"

"Listen" Rose spoke quietly. She was referring to the footsteps and growls coming from outside the room. She nervously reached for Tate's hand. The two of them laced their fingers together. The Doctor had wrapped an arm around Nova's waist and pulled her close to his side.

"Is this the only door?" Nova whispered to Robert.

"Yes" He whispered back. Then he remembered. "No!" He quickly went to barricade the other door.

Rose hushed everyone as the outside noises continued. "I don't understand" She said. "What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room" The Doctor realized. He began walking around, taking Nova with him as he still had his arm around her. "What is it? Why can't it get in?"

Tate cleared his throat and spoke up. "Tell you what though?"

The Doctor and Nova looked at him and spoke at the same time. "What?"

"Werewolf" He said grinning. Rose squeezed his hand, sharing the grin. 

"Werewolf!" She repeated.

"I know!" Nova added. She left The Doctor's side and walked over to them. "You two alright, though?"

Rose wrapped her arms around Nova in a hug. "We're okay, yeah" When Rose let go of Nova, she then went over to hug The Doctor. It was then Tate's turn to wrap his arms around Nova. After his hug with Nova, he then hugged The Doctor as well. Robert was sitting in the back with his face in his hand as Victoria watched the Tardis team. Both curiously and carefully.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am" Robert apologized, making Victoria look at him. "It's all my fault. I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, they were bald, athletic. Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy"

"I'll tell you what though, Ma'am," Rose looked at Victoria. "I bet you're not amused now"

Victoria wore a serious expression. "Do you think this is funny?" She chastised.

Rose's eyes darted down to the ground. "No, Ma'am. I'm sorry" She apologized as she shook her head.

"What, exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please. What exactly is that creature?"

Rose and Tate both looked to The Doctor and Nova for an answer. Nova answered first. "You'd call it a werewolf" Just like The Doctor had retained his natural London accent, she had now retained her natural Irish accent.

The Doctor scratched the back of his head. "But technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform"

"And should I trust you, sir and madam?" Victoria looked between them. "You two who change your voices so easily? What happened to your accents?"

"Oh right, sorry, that's--"

Victoria cut off The Doctor. "I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world"


	9. tooth and claw 2.4

Something carved on the door sparked Nova's attention. She ran her hand over the carving. "Mistletoe. Sir Robert, did you father put that there?"

Robert shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose"

"It's on the other door too" The Doctor mentioned, referring to the door Robert was sitting in front of. "No, a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder" He licked the woodwork. "Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe. It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? I love him"

"Oh, mistletoe! How groovy!" Nova cheered. "Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins"

"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose asked.

"Well, it thinks it is" The Doctor answered. "The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things"

"Nevertheless," Robert spoke. "That creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon"

"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?"

"Being rude again!" Rose said.

"Good. I meant that one. You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world" He put on a pair of glasses. "This room's the greatest arsenal we could have" He grabbed a couple of books. He threw one over to Rose and the other to Tate. "Arm yourself" The two companions caught the books.

* * *

Rose and Tate flipped through a book together. "Biology, zoology" Rose listed off. "There might be something on wolves in here"

"Hold on, what about this?" The Doctor held a book out in front of Nova. "A book on mistletoe?"

"A book on magic" Tate said, grabbing another book.

"Some form of explosive" Robert said, flipping through his own book.

"Hmm, that's the sort of thing" The Doctor said. Something in the book clearly interested him. He placed the book on the table. "Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth" The Doctor referred to an illustration in the book. Everyone crowded around.

"A spaceship?" Rose asked.

"A shooting star" Robert began reading the text under the illustration. "In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit. That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the monastery"

"But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waiting for?"

"Maybe just a single cell survived" Nova suggested. "Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host"

"Then why does it want the throne?" Robert wondered.

"That's what it wants. It said so. The, the Empire of the Wolf" Tate answered.

"Imagine it" The Doctor said. "The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake"

Victoria, who was sitting the entire time they were searching through book after book, stood to her feet. "Sir Robert" The man walked over to her. "If I am to die here"

"Don't say that, Your Majesty" Robert said.

"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself" She opened her bag and started digging through it for her precious valuable.

"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables" The Doctor commented.

"Thank you for your opinion, but there is nothing more valuable than this" Victoria pulled a finest white 105.6 carat diamond out of her bag. The Tardis team stared at the diamond in awe.

"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose nodded at the diamond, still hugging books to her chest.

"Oh, yes" The Doctor mused as they began approaching Victoria. "The greatest diamond in the world"

"Given to me as the spoils of war. Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die" Victoria said.

"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough" The Doctor reached his hand out. "Can I?" Victoria was hesitant to give him the diamond, but she did give it to him. The Doctor examined the diamond closely, as did Nova. "That is so beautiful"

"How much is that worth?" Rose wondered.

"They say the wages of the entire planet for a whole week" Nova said. 

"Good job my mum's not here. She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing" 

"She'd win" The Doctor joked.

"My mum would be wondering when I'm gonna settle down" Tate said. He looked to Nova and scrunched his face as he did an imitation of his mother. "Tatum, someday you better be putting a diamond like this on some girl's finger!" 

"That does sound like Deborah!" She crinkled her nose as she laughed. "Oh, spot on! Spot on!" 

"Where is the wolf?" Robert asked. "I don't trust this silence" He walked away.

"Why do you travel with it?" The Doctor asked Victoria about the diamond.

"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew, the Royal Jewellers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting" Victoria explained.

"Oh, but it's perfect" Rose sang.

"My late husband never thought so"

"Now, there's a fact" The Doctor took off his glasses. "Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting"

"He always said the shine was not quite right" The Tardis team looked at Victoria. "But he died with it still unfinished"

Something clicked in The Doctor's head. "Unfinished. Oh, yes" He threw the diamond back to Victoria. "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, and your husband, Ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, hold on" The Doctor shook his fingers through his hair. "All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected"

Nova gasped dramatically. "He's right! What if this house, it's a trap for you. Is that right, Ma'am?"

"Obviously" Victoria said.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But," Nova held up a finger. "What if there's a trap inside the trap?"

"Explain yourself, Miss Nova"

"I can help Supernova with that" The Doctor said. "What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true, and they planned against it, laying the real trap not for you but for the wolf" Everyone looked up as plaster dust began falling from the ceiling. The werewolf was on the dome skylight. "That wolf there" The glass in the skylight began cracking.

"Out! Out! Out!" Nova chanted as ran for the door. They removed the barricades and stepped out into the corridor. Once everyone was out, The Doctor shut the mistletoe doors. Unfortunately, the werewolf managed to get out and it caught up with Rose. She screamed just as Isobel, Flora and the other ladies arrived and threw a pan of liquid on the werewolf. Tate grabbed Rose and pulled her into a secure hug. 

"Good shot!" The Doctor said.

"It was mistletoe" Flora said.

"Isobel!" Robert said when he saw his wife. The two of them kissed. "Now, get back downstairs"

"Keep yourself safe" Isobel wished of her husband. They kissed once more. Isobel and Flora began leading the other girls back down to the kitchen.

"Come on" The Doctor beckoned.

"The observatory's this way" Robert pointed the way. They began running up the stairs.

* * *

They reached the observatory. "No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside" The Doctor said. "I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?"

"Just do your work and I'll defend it" Robert said.

"We need rope or something" Nova suggested. "Something to bind the doors"

"I said I'd find you time, Sir and Madam. Now get inside"

"Good man" The Doctor said. He shut the door as Robert stayed out in the corridor. The Doctor then went over to Victoria. "Your Majesty, the diamond"

"For what purpose?" she asked.

"The purpose it was designed for" Victoria gave The Doctor the diamond.

"Rose, Tate" Nova motioned for them to follow her and The Doctor over to the telescope. They stood at the control wheel. "Lift!" Rose and Tate lifted from one side, while Nova and The Doctor pushed down on the other.

"Is this the right time for stargazing?" Rose asked through gritted teeth.

"Yes it is" The Doctor groaned in response. Screaming and fighting was heard coming from out the door. Victoria held up her jet cross and began to pray.

"Wait a minute," Tate remembered as they were still lifting and pulling. "Doctor, you said this thing doesn't work"

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is" The Doctor clarified. "It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up"

"It won't work" Rose argued. "There's no electricity" Something clicked in her head. "Moonlight. But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight"

"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown" Nova said. They had got the telescope in the right position. The moon lined up with the telescope lens. The moonlight bounced between prisms, magnifying as it goes. The werewolf burst through the doors. It was about to go for Victoria. The Doctor slid the diamond over to where the light was hitting the floor. It refracted upwards, catching the werewolf in its beam, and lifted it off the floor. The werewolf changed back into a man. He was hanging in the air as if he were crucifixed.

"Make it brighter" the man begged. "Let me go" The Doctor adjusted the magnification of the eye piece. The man turned back into a wolf shape and let out a howl. It then vanished. Victoria looked at a small scratch that was on her wrist.

"Your Majesty?" The Doctor asked. "Did it bite you?"

"No, it's, it's a cut, that's all" she tried assuring.

The Doctor and Nova gave each other concerned glances. Nova approached Victoria. "If that thing bit you?" she said.

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing"

"Let me see, please" Nova tried to grab Victoria's arm but she just as quickly put it down.

"It is nothing"

* * *

The next morning, the whole household was in presence as the Tardis team knelt before Victoria. The Queen herself was armed with a sword. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Doctor of Tardis" She touched both of his shoulders with the sword, and she proceeded to do the same to the other three as she dubbed them. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Nightingale of Tardis. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Tate of Lanyon Place. You may stand" The Tardis team stood on their feet.

"Many thanks, Ma'am" The Doctor said.

"Thanks. They're never going to believe this back home" Rose said.

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, from beyond the grave"

"Indeed" Victoria agreed. "Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused"

Rose and Tate looked at each other, smirking as they cheered. "Yes!"

"Not remotely" Victoria was glaring at Rose and Tate. The two of them quickly dropped their smirks. "And henceforth I banish you"

Nova blinked her eyes and scrunched her face in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"I have rewarded you, Sir Doctor and Dame Nightingale, and now you are exiled from this empire, never to return" Victoria took a step closer to the Tardis team. "I don't know what you are, the four of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death, and I will not allow it. You will leave these shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good, and how much longer you may survive this terrible life" She stepped back to where she was originally standing. "Now leave my world, and never return"

* * *

The Tardis team were on a carriage ride back to the Highlands. When the carriage stopped, the four of them hopped off. They began walking back to the Tardis. "No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood" The Doctor explained.

Nova nodded as she continued. "It's historical record. She was haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere"

"You're both saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose questioned.

"Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism" The Doctor conceded.

"For werewolf?" Tate wondered.

"Could be"

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" Rose asked.

"Could be" Nova shrugged. "And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip"

Rose and Tate both smiled in amusement. "So the royal family are werewolves?"

"Well, maybe not yet" The Doctor said. "I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh," He whipped his head towards Nova. "Supernova, what would you say?"

Nova chewed on her lip in thought. She snapped her fingers when she came up with an answer. "Early 21st century?"

"Nah, that's just ridiculous!" Rose shook her head. 

"Mind you, Princess Anne" Tate nudged Rose. 

"I'll say no more!" The Doctor said.

"Nor shall I" Nova said.

"And if you think about it, they're very private" Rose began giggling. "They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting!" They stepped inside the Tardis. "They love blood sports. Oh my God, they're werewolves!"

The moment she had stepped foot into the Tardis, Nova could hear her phone ringing. She reached into her bag. Rose went wide eyed when she saw the phone she had. She looked at the Doctor and mouthed, "That's a phone?" 

Nova groaned when she saw the name across the screen. **Deborah Peltzer**. "Tate, it's your bloody mother calling me!"

"Huh" Tate raised an eyebrow at her. "How about that?"

"You said you gave her _your_ phone number"

"Must have given her yours by mistake" Tate shrugged. He began walking off. "I'm sure whatever she needs, you can talk to her about it"

"Should we give you some privacy?" The Doctor asked.

"No need. She's probably just checking in" Nova accepted the call and placed the phone against her ear. "Mrs. Peltzer"

" _Oh, Nova, sweetheart_ " Deborah greeted in a sweet voice. " _How are you and Tate, my dear? How are your adventures? Nothing too dangerous I hope_ "

"We're fine Deborah. Listen, we're very busy, so---"

" _I'd like you two to come over for dinner. I haven't seen you two since Christmas_ "

"I don't know Deborah. We've met some new friends, and we're travelling with them at the moment"

" _Invite them as well!_ "Deborah insisted. " _Oh, and don't tell Tate, but I've also invited a girl over. A pretty redhead name Kathy. It's time for him to settle down, and if he's not going to with you---_ "

"Deborah, I've explained to you on many occasions why a romantic relationship wouldn't work out between us" Nova let out a sigh. "Fine, we'll come over for dinner"

" _Oh, thank you, dear. I look forward to seeing you both, and your new friends!_ " Deborah ended the call. 

Nova turned to look at The Doctor and Rose. "Would you two fancy a trip to Belfast by any chance?"


	10. Dinner At Lanyon Place

The Tardis came to a stop as it reached it's destination. They were near a set of apartment buildings near Lanyon Place. Tate didn't yet know that they were stopping to visit his mother.

The Doctor, Nova and Rose both stood around the console. "I've never been to Ireland before" Rose mentioned, making both Time Lords look at her. "And I tell ya, I'm starving! I'm really looking forward to this dinner"

"I'm hoping Deborah made her Irish stew" Nova's tummy rumbled just thinking about it. "Yep. I can smell it now"

"Mmm. Sounds delicious" Rose hummed in approval. She clapped her hands together. "I'll go get Tate"

Rose ran off leaving The Doctor and Nova alone. They stepped closer to each other, filling the empty space between them once occupied by Rose. "Before you meet Deborah, there's somethings you should know about her"

"She's not gonna slap me, is she?" The Doctor asked.

"What?" Nova quirked an eyebrow. "Why would she do that?"

The Doctor scratched the back of his head, something Nova found he did quite often. It was cute. "I have a history with mothers and them slapping me" He thought back to Rose's mother, Jackie.

"Oh, no" Nova shook her head. "No, Deborah's a hugger. She might even end up flirting with you a bit. You're tall, smart, handsome..."

The Doctor smirked at her. "You think I'm handsome?"

"Maybe I do" Nova smiled back at him. "But Deborah might think so too. She's a handsy woman"

* * *

Rose had found Tate in one of the bedrooms. "Tate?"

"Hi Rose" Tate greeted her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. We've just landed"

"Oh" Tate piped as he walked over to Rose. "Where are we adventuring now?"

"Actually, we've stopped for dinner"

"Great. I'm starving" The two of them started walking to console room. "Don't you find that you're always hungry after a trip?"

"Yes!" Rose agreed. "All the time! All that running really drains the energy out of you, which makes you tired as well. Glad the Tardis has a bedroom"

"Me too" The two companions came to the console room to find Nova and The Doctor standing incredibly close to each other laughing, whispering and smiling at one another. "They owe us money"

"That's right, they do" Rose grew a smirk on her face like she was planning something. "We also need to get them to go on a date"

"A date?" Tate repeated. "I don't know. Nova's not really the romantic type"

"Well not with humans, obviously" Rose reasoned. "But those two are Time Lords. They're both the last of their kind. They're meant to be together"

"What are you two whispering about?" The Doctor asked when he and Nova noticed them.

"Nothing, Doctor" Rose denied. "Just how hungry we both are" She sent a discrete wink in Tate's direction.

"Well, come on then" Nova beckoned. The group of four exited the Tardis.

"Where are we having dinner anyways?" Tate wondered. "Parisian cafe in the 1940's? Picnic on the moon?" He narrowed his eyes when he saw the familiar apartment building. "Dinner with my mother. Great"

"Surprise!" Nova cheered as she jazz handed. "Sorry, Tate. Deborah wore me down"

* * *

They took the lift all the way up to the tenth floor where Deborah's flat was. When they reached the door to her flat, Nova knocked on it.

"We're having dinner and then I want to go" Tate huffed, crossing his arms.

"What have you got against your own mother?" Nova interrogated. "She's the kindest woman alive"

"You didn't grow up in the same house as her"

The door opened and a woman in her early forties appeared. It was none other than Deborah Peltzer. She smiled happily. "Oh, Tate! My wonderful son!"

Deborah pulled him into a hug. Tate made a weak attempt to wrap his arms around her. She let go of her son and then hugged Nova. "And Nova, my dear girl!"

"Lovely to see you too, Deborah" Nova returned the hug.

"Thank you, sweetheart" Deborah let go of Nova. She then looked between The Doctor and Rose. "And you two must be my Tate and Nova's new friends. I'm Deborah, but you can call me Deb or Debbie"

"Pleasure to meet you, Debbie" Rose held out her hand. "I'm Rose Tyler"

"Rose, my dear, I don't do handshakes" Rose yelped in surprise when Debbie pulled her into a hug. She looked to her son and mouthed to him. " _She's pretty!_ "

Tate rolled his eyes and groaned. "Don't start, mum"

Debbie let go of Rose. Her eyes finally settled on The Doctor. "And you would be?"

"I'm The Doctor" He greeted with a grin.

"The Doctor, hmm?" Debbie took his face in between her hands. "Aren't you the handsome one" she swooned. "And you've got an odd name like Nova's got. Tell me," she let go of him. "Are you like Nova? Alien?"

The Doctor nodded. "I'm actually a Time Lord, like she is"

Debbie gasped in excitement and looked at Nova. "Maybe you'll finally have your chance at love, sweetheart. You're always saying you wish you had someone to love and spend the rest of your life with"

Nova cleared her throat. "How about we go inside?" She brushed past Deborah and into the apartment, unaware of the longing look that The Doctor was giving her.

* * *

"Why did you have to agree to dinner!?" Tate hissed at Nova. The two of them were currently in the bathroom. "You know how I feel about my mom! I can tolerate her on holidays and birthdays, but any other day—"

"She's your mother!" Nova retorted. "One day you're gonna lose her, or maybe it'll be the other way around and she'll lose you. She's the only family you've got—"

"You're my family, Nova" Tate said. "You, The Doctor, and Rose"

"Tate, you know you're not gonna be with me forever"

"I don't want to hear that right now, Nightingale" Tears started rimming at his eyes. "What matters is that I'm with you now. Let's just focus on that"

Nova smiled, bringing a finger up to wipe a stray tear on his face. "I'm sorry, Tate" she apologized. She then grabbed Tate's hands in her own. "Just do me one favour. Try to get through this dinner"

"Alright"

* * *

Rose was in the kitchen with Deborah, helping her gather dishes and utensils. "Have you ever had Irish stew, my dear?" Debbie asked.

"No" Rose shook her head. "But Nova says you make the best around"

"Oh, she's just being generous!" Debbie blushed. She came to a stop in front of Rose. She smiled at the young girl and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You're a very beautiful girl, Rose"

Rose smiled at her. "Thank you Debbie"

"If I had known that Tate met another girl, I wouldn't have invited Kathy along"

"Who's Kathy?" Rose didn't know why, but she felt anger and jealousy bubble at the name.

"Oh, she's no one, my dear" Debbie assured her. "I teach a yoga class and Kathy is a girl who attends. I was hoping her and Tate would hit it off"

Rose pressed her lips into a thin line. "Oh"

Debbie nodded and sighed. "It's time for my son to settle with a girl, and as much as I love Nova, he can't possibly expect to travel with her forever"

"Well, why not?"

"The same reason you can't travel with The Doctor for the rest of your life" Debbie sighed sadly, and then a smile perked on her face. "Have you got a boyfriend, Rose?"

"His name is Mickey" she answered with uncertainty.

* * *

Nova and The Doctor were both setting up the table. Nova had been awfully quiet. The Doctor had noticed. "Everything okay, Supernova?"

Nova looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine"

"There was something that Deb said to you" The Doctor began. He heard an audible sigh come from Nova. "Something about you wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone"

Nova laughed awkwardly. "Oh, that!" She shook her head. "I told her that one time, but I was just talking nonsense..."

"It's not nonsense to feel that way, Supernova" The Doctor walked over to her. "Because I understand what that feels like" He cupped her cheek in his hand. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his hand against her skin.

Their moment was interrupted when there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Debbie squealed with excitement. The two Time Lords stepped away from each other as the woman ran to the door. She opened it, revealing a smiling redhead on the other side.

"Hi Debbie!" the redhead greeted. "I'm not too late, am I?"

"Oh no, Kathy. You're right on time" Debbie pulled Kathy inside. "Kathy, these are friends of my son. Nova and The Doctor"

"Nice to meet you both" Kathy waved. "Where is Tate?"

"Probably still in the kitchen with Rose"

Kathy raised an eyebrow. "Rose?"

"Yes. Another one of his friends" Debbie grinned. "Well, dinner's ready. Why don't we all sit and eat?"

* * *

Debbie informed Rose and Tate that everyone else was ready to start dinner. The two of them brought the food over to the dining table. When Tate saw who was sitting at the table, he went wide eyed with a smile. "Kathy? Kathy O'Connor?"

The redhead gave him a big smile. "Tate Peltzer! Good to see you again!" Tate and Kathy hugged each other.

"Oh," Debbie muttered in surprise. "I wasn't aware you two knew each other"

"Really mum?" Tate said. "Kathy and I were schoolmates. I talked about her all the time!"

"Is this the same Kathy that you had that huge crush on?"

When Rose heard that, she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Kathy. Kathy, however, had yet to notice the blonde woman. "Mum" Tate blushed. "Stop it"

"Yeah" Rose agreed. "Why don't we all take a seat? I'm starving"

Everyone found their seats at the table. Deborah sat on one end of the table, and Nova and The Doctor sat together on one side. Tate took a seat on the side opposite to them. Rose went to sit beside him, but Kathy beat her to the seat. So, Rose had to settle for the end opposite Debbie.

"Well, everyone dig in!" Debbie invited. "And please don't be afraid to have seconds or thirds!"

* * *

Everyone talked and ate throughout dinner. Tate and Kathy talked the most out of everyone. The two of them laughed and reminisced about their childhood. Rose stared at them while she shoved spoonfuls of stew in her mouth.

"Remember prom?" Kathy asked Tate.

"How could I not? I was so nervous to ask you, but you said yes!" Tate reminisced with glee. "And I remember how beautiful you looked in that dress"

Nova had managed to notice the way Rose was staring at the two so she butted into the conversation. "You know, I've never had a prom before, but I did chaperone a few school dances"

"Really?" Kathy wondered. "Do you have a younger brother, cousin, or a nephew?"

"No" Nova shook her head. "It's just a kid I know. Peter is a sweet boy, and he's very smart too"

"I was voted prom queen at my prom" Rose spoke up. Kathy looked at Rose with an annoyed smile.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Kathy asked rather rudely. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Rose. I've told you my name like five times already"

"Oh, right. Sorry, I'm forgetful" Kathy took a sip of her wine. "Or maybe you're just incredibly dull" she muttered quietly, in hopes that no one would hear, but she underestimated the Time Lords sitting in front of her.

"Rose Tyler is not dull!" The Doctor defended.

"He's right!" Nova agreed. "Rose is one of the most exciting people I've ever met! And she's very smart too, and has an eye for fashion if I do say so myself"

Tate groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "On no"

Kathy laughed at Nova. "Look who's talking! The nineteen seventies called. They'd like their clothes and hair back"

"Don't insult my Supernova!" The Doctor hissed.

"And by the way," Debbie glared at Kathy. "I gave her those clothes"

"What do you do for a living, Kathy?" Rose asked, a devious smirk on her face.

Kathy smiled proudly. "I'm an editor for a fashion magazine"

"Really?" Rose snorted. "That's it?"

"Well it's more exciting than what you probably do. Let me guess," Kathy eyed Rose up and down. "You just work at a clothing store, selling the designs that are in the magazines that I edit" Kathy laughed. "You probably work in the shop that sells all the cheap knock offs!"

"You want to know the kind of life I live?" Rose stood up, smacking her hands on the table. "I've helped save London _twice_ from a Slitheen invasion. I've seen the literal end of the world, and New Earth. I've seen ghosts and living plastic. I've met Charles Dickinson and Queen Victoria. By the way, did you know that she was a werewolf?"

Kathy looked really angry. "Stop making up lies!"

"She's not lying" Tate stuck up for Rose. "She's telling the truth, and I'd know because I've been places you wouldn't believe either" Tate circled the table until he reached Rose. He draped his arm over her shoulders. "So don't you sit there and call my friend dull, because if anyone here lives a dull and boring life, it is you"

Kathy huffed angrily and stood up from her chair. "You've changed Tate! I thought we could pick up where we left off, but it seems you're picking the blonde bimbo over me"

"Don't call her that!" Tate growled.

Kathy rolled her eyes and looked to the two Time Lords. "And I don't know what exactly you two are, but I will find out. And when I do, you two will be sorry"

With one last angry huff, she made her way out the door, slamming it shut. There was now a tension in the room which Deborah broke. "Who wants some dessert?"

* * *

After that awkward dinner, the group of four were happy to be back in the Tardis. Rose was a little upset from the way Kathy spoke to her, but she was also happy that her friends were quick to stick up for her. "I just wanted to thank you guys for sticking up for me"

"You don't need to thank us for that, Rose" Nova said.

"You're our friend" The Doctor added. "We won't ever let anyone call you dull again because you're not"

"I'm sorry about how Kathy spoke to you" Tate apologized. "She never used to be like that"

"You don't need to apologize on her behalf" Rose assured him. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She checked it to see that she got a text from Mickey.

_I think I've found something. The Doctor might be interested._

"Mickey thinks he's found something" Rose said. She looked to The Doctor. "Something you might be interested in"

The Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes. "If it's coming from Mickey, how interesting can it be?"

"Hang on, he's just texted me more details" Rose scanned her eyes through the text. "Something about a school and abnormally smart kids"

"I don't know" Nova shrugged, walking over to The Doctor. She rested her arm on his shoulder. "My interest is peaked"

The Doctor smiled down at Nova. If had interested Nova, he wasn't going to say no to her. "If my Supernova is interested, I'll do it" Then he looked to Tate. "What say you, Tate?"

"Hey, another exciting adventure with my three best friends?" Tate grinned. "How could I say no to that?"


	11. School Reunion 3.1

A school bell rang and students flooded into the classroom. The Doctor, posing as a teacher, entered the classroom and approached the front desk. "Good morning, class. Are we sitting comfortably?" In red ink, he wrote PHYSICS on the whiteboard. "So, physics. Physics, eh?" He capped off the maker and threw it onto the desk. "Physics. Physics. Physics! Physics. Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics. I hope one of you is getting all this down. Okay let's see what you know. Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?" A young boy with spectacles raised his hand. "Yes, er, what's your name?"

"Milo" the boy answered.

"Milo! Off you go!"

"They'd repel each other because they have the same charge"

"Correctamundo! A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again" The Doctor proceeded with asking another question. "Question two. I coil up a thin piece of microwire and place it in a glass of water. Then I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water's temperature is affected. My question is this. How do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?" Milo raised his hand again. "Someone else" The Doctor looked around at all the other students. They looked bored out of their minds. "No? Okay, Milo, go for it"

"Measure the current and PDs in an ammeter and a voltmeter" Milo answered on the dot again.

"Two to Milo. Right then, Milo, tell me this. True or false. The greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings"

"False"

"What is non-coding DNA?"

"DNA that doesn't code for a protein"

"Sixty five thousand nine hundred and eighty three times five?" Now he was The Doctor was straying even farther away from physics.

"Three hundred and twenty nine thousand nine hundred and fifteen" Milo answered in a single breath without pause.

"How do you travel faster than light?"

"By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factor of thirty six point seven recurring"

The Doctor's jaw dropped.

* * *

A few classrooms down in the science hall, Nova wrote her name on the whiteboard. She was posing as a Biology teacher. "Alright, students. My name is Miss Galvin" She turned to face the students. "And I don't know about you, but I love biology! How about we play a game, hmm?" Nova suggested. None of the students seemed to interested in what she had to say, except for a girl sitting in the front, twitching with eagerness. Nova noticed and smiled at the girl. "What's your name?"

"Chelsea, ma'am" the girl answered.

"Chelsea!" Nova repeated. "Alright, Chelsea. Let's see if you can answer this question. What is the largest living structure on Earth?"

"The Great Barrier Reef found in Australia" Chelsea answered. "Reaching over 2000 kilometres or 1240 miles in length"

"Bingo! Let's get to another question, and this time I'd like to see some hands go up" Nova asked the next question. "Moulds, yeasts, and mushrooms are a type of what?"

Chelsea's hand was the only one that shot up. Nova pointed at her, and the young girl proceeded to answer. "Fungus"

"Bingo again!" Nova's eyes scanned over the other students. "Come on, guys. Chelsea's winning the game. Surely there is someone who can match her mind" Another question was asked. "What was the first mammal to be cloned from a single cell?"

Chelsea answered again. "Dolly the sheep. She was born July 5th, 1996"

"What is the process to stop various foods and liquids making people sick? Bonus points if you can tell me who came up with the process"

"Pasteurization was invented by French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur"

"True or false. Viruses can be treated with antibiotics?"

"False. Viruses are treated with antivirals. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics"

Nova would have asked another question, but she knew it would be Chelsea who answered it. She stared at the student with curiosity. "Interesting" Nova muttered to herself.

* * *

It was lunch time. The Doctor and Nova stood in line together to get their food. Tate and Rose both got stuck working in the kitchens. Tate put some chips on their trays, while Rose slopped on some mash. She gave them both a dirty look, obviously not happy about working in the kitchens. The Doctor and Nova gave their companions a grin before walking over to a table and having a seat.

They sat across from each other. Rose and Tate both walked over to their table. "Two days" Rose complained as she began wiping down the table.

"Sorry, could you just? There's a bit of gravy" The Doctor pointed at a spot. "No, no, just, just there"

"Two days, we've been here"

"Blame your boyfriend. He's the one who put us onto this. And he was right. Boy in class this morning, got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth"

"Same with a girl in my biology class" Nova said.

"You eating those chips?" Rose asked.

Nova pushed her chips towards Rose. "Go for it" Rose and Tate both started munching on Nova's chips. "I don't really like them"

"Me neither" The Doctor agreed. He then added. "They're a bit different"

"What are you two talking about?" Tate scoffed at them. "These are the best chips I've ever had!"

Rose agreed. "I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this" As she at the chip, she took a seat at the end of the table between The Doctor and Nova.

"It's very well behaved, this place" The Doctor mentioned. 

"It's rather odd" Nova nodded. She leaned back in her chair as she started scanning the cafeteria with her eyes. "I thought there'd be happy slapping hoodies"

The Doctor added on. "Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones. Huh? Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't tell me I don't fit in"

The head lunch lady, Jackson, came over. "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting" She spoke to Rose and Tate. The both of them stood from their seats.

"We were just talking to these teachers" Rose said, pointing between them.

The Doctor and Nova smiled at Jackson and greeted. "Hello!"

"They don't like the chips" Tate explained. 

"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance. Now, both of you, get back to work" Jackson walked away.

Rose and Tate began walking back to the kitchens. "This is us" Rose grumbled.

"Dinner lady and dinner boy" Tate said.

"I'll have the crumble" The Doctor called out to them, making the two companions stop to look at the two Time Lords.

"And I'd fancy a pudding" Nova chimed in.

Rose and Tate shook their heads at them and continued to the kitchens. "We're so gonna kill them, right?" Rose mused.

Tate nodded in agreement. "Oh yeah. I don't know if they ever sleep but if they do, they better do it with one eye open" Rose laughed at what he said.

Another teacher entered the cafeteria and walked over to a girl with a ponytail. The teacher's name was Wagner, and the poor girl was Melissa. "Melissa. You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me, so it's time we moved you up to the top class" Wagner looked over at another student at the table. "Kenny, not eating the chips?"

The Doctor and Nova both eyed the table curiously. Kenny was eating a home prepared lunch. "I'm not allowed"

"Luke. Extra class. Now" Melissa and Luke followed Wagner out of the cafeteria. The school's headmaster, Finch, was standing on a balcony, overlooking the cafeteria. The Doctor and Nova both glanced at him.

"Does he seem a bit suspicious to you?" Nova asked.

"Oh, yes" The Doctor agreed. "Yes, he does"

* * *

Rose and Tate were drying up dishes in the kitchen. Tate was the first one to notice a group of lunch ladies wheeling in a barrel. The barrel had strange symbols on it. The lunch ladies were wearing breathing masks and heavy duty protective gauntlets. "Rose?" Tate whispered to his friend.

"What?" she asked, looking up from the pan she was drying.

"Look at that barrel they've got over there"

"What do you think is in it?"

"I don't know, but it's got to be something dangerous if it's got all the ladies dressed up like that"

Rose's phone rang. She saw that it was Mickey calling so she answered it. "What you got?"

"Confirmation" Mickey replied. He was on a computer somewhere in a library. "I just got into army records. Three months ago, massive UFO activity. They logged over forty sightings. Lights in the sky, all of that" He tried clicking on something but a message flashed on the screen. TORCHWOOD ACCESS DENIED. "I can't get any photos, because then it gets all classified and secret. Keeps locking me out"

"Tell you what, though" Rose began while Tate kept lookout. "Three months ago, turns out all the kitchen staff were replaced. And this lot are weird"

"See? There's definitely something going on. I was right to call you home"

"I thought maybe you called me home just, well, just to call me home"

"Do you think I'd just invent an emergency?"

"You could've done"

"That's the last thing I'd do. Because every time I see you an emergency just gets in the way"

The barrel the lunch ladies were wheeling suddenly toppled over. One of the women got splashed with oil and she screamed out in pain.

"Tate and I've got to go!" Rose said.

"Rose, what is it?" Mickey asked. "And who is Tate?"

Rose hung up the phone. The injured woman was hustled into a nearby office. The blinds were pulled down which made Rose redial. Jackson stepped out of the office. "What are you two doing?"

"Calling an ambulance" Rose quickly answered.

"No need. She's quite all right" There is a whumph sound, kind of like a sudden fire, and then a scream followed. Smoke came out of the office. "It's fine. She does that" Jackson went back into the office. 

Rose looked at the spilt barrel and noticed something peculiar. She motioned for Tate to look at it. "Tate, come see this" Tate came closer to the barrel. "Look at this. Ate right through the metal"

"Out-of-this world intelligent students, and corrosive oil?" Tate raised an eyebrow. "And then you add on the weird lunch ladies" He motioned in the direction of the office. "I think this Mickey friend of yours just won us the jackpot of weird and spooky"

* * *

Nova was in the staff room preparing herself a cup of tea when she was approached by a woman. "Excuse me?" The woman tapped on Nova's shoulders, making her turn around to look at the woman. "I was wondering if you could help me?"

Nova smiled at her. "I'd be happy to Miss..."

"Smith. Sarah Jane Smith" The woman introduced, shaking Nova's hand. "And you would be?"

"Nova Galvin"

"Nova" Sarah Jane smiled at her. "That's a beautiful name. What do you do here, Nova?"

"I teach biology"

"Really? You seem quite young to be a teacher"

"Believe me, I'm older than you'd think" Nova took a sip of her tea. Something about Nova reminded Sarah Jane of an old friend. "What can I help you with, Sarah Jane Smith?"

"I'm a reporter. I'm doing a profile on Headmaster Finch" She paused. "I've also heard some... strange things about the school. Have you noticed anything?"

"There was a girl in my biology class. She could answer every question I asked without even hesitation" Nova tried thinking of something else. She then remembered something a fellow staff member told her. "I wasn't here yet, but apparently three months ago when Finch arrived, half the staff got the flu. The next day, Finch had them replaced. Except for the teacher's me and my friend replaced" That's when Nova noticed that The Doctor had been staring at her and Sarah Jane. "In fact, would you like to meet my friend?"

Sarah Jane smiled. "Oh, that would be lovely"

Nova and Sarah Jane approached The Doctor. He had a huge grin on his face. "Sarah Jane, this is my friend"

"Hello" Sarah Jane greeted The Doctor.

"Oh, I should think so" he said. 

"She's doing a profile on Finch" Nova said, to which Sarah Jane nodded.

"That I am. Nova says that you two are friends" Sarah Jane looked between the two of them. "But she never gave me your name"

"Hm? Er, Smith. John Smith" 

"John Smith. I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name" 

"Well, it's a very common name"

"He was a very uncommon man" Sarah Jane held her hand out to The Doctor. "Nice to meet you"

The Doctor shook her hand with that big smile still plastered on his face. "Nice to meet you. Yes, very nice. More than nice. Brilliant"

"Er, so, er, have you worked here long? You and Nova?"

"No. It's only our second day"

"Oh, you're new, then. I've already asked Nova, so maybe I could get your input" Sarah Jane proceeded to ask. "So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum? So many children getting ill. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile" The Doctor remarked.

"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here" 

"No. Good for you" Sarah Jane walked away. The Doctor was still grinning. "Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith"

"Old friend of yours, I'm assuming?" Nova asked with a smile.

"Oh, Supernova" The Doctor sang to her. "The stories I could tell you of Sarah Jane Smith"


	12. School Reunion 3.2

At nightfall, the Tardis team, along with Mickey, broke into the school to continue their investigation. "Oh, it's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong" Rose said. "When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school"

"Me too" Tate nodded. "And then when you saw them outside of school, it felt really awkward"

"All right, team" The Doctor cringed. "Oh, I hate people who say team. Er, gang. Er, comrades" The Doctor said and then he started giving direction. "Anyway, Rose and Tate, go to the kitchen. Get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers. Go and check out the Maths department. Supernova and I are going to look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes" The Doctor and Nova made their way to Finch's office, leaving Rose, Tate, and Mickey.

"You going to be alright?" Rose asked Mickey.

"Me? Please. Infiltration and investigation? I'm an expert at this" Mickey walked away but then he came back. "Where's the Maths department?"

"I know the way" Tate said. He turned to Rose. "Will you be alright in the kitchen by yourself?" Rose nodded in response. Tate then turned to Mickey. "I'll go with you down to the Maths department"

"Er, alright" Mickey shrugged. "Sounds good" He and Tate started walking down to the Maths department. "I'm Mickey Smith, by the way" He said once he realized that he hadn't properly met the man with him yet.

"Nice to meet you, Mickey" Tate shook Mickey's hand. "Tate Peltzer"

* * *

Sarah Jane Smith had also decided to drop in for a night business. She had heard noises and followed them into a storeroom. Instead, she wound up finding the Tardis. She backed out of the storeroom, and into the corridor where The Doctor and Nova were. She turned to look at them. 

"Hello Sarah Jane" The Doctor said.

"It's you. Oh, Doctor Oh, my God, it's you, isn't it. You've regenerated" Sarah Jane said.

"Yeah. Half a dozen times since we last met"

"You look incredible"

"So do you"

"I got old" Sarah Jane looked to Nova. "And you Nova, you're not human, are you?"

Nova smiled at the woman. "No, I'm not. I'm like The Doctor" The Doctor smiled down at Nova as he reached over to grab her hand. "I'm also a Time Lord. Well, Time Lady"

"What are you two doing here?" Sarah Jane asked them. 

"Well, UFO sighting, school gets record results. We couldn't resist" The Doctor explained. "What about you?"

"Same" Sarah Jane answered with a smile. Then her expression changed. "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must have died"

"I lived. Everyone else died"

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone died, Sarah"

"I can't believe it's you" There was a scream. "Okay, now I can!"

Rose ran up to them. "Did you hear that?" She looked at Sarah Jane. "Who's she?"

"Rose, Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane, Rose" The Doctor introduced them.

"Hi. Nice to meet you" Sarah Jane smiled, shaking Rose's hand. Rose didn't looked to pleased about Sarah Jane. "You can tell you're getting older" Sarah Jane said to The Doctor. "Your assistants are getting younger"

"I'm not his assistant!"

"No? Get you, tiger"

"Rose, where is Tate?" Nova wondered. "I thought he was with you"

"He went with Mickey to the Maths department" Rose replied.

* * *

They followed the scream to classroom where Mickey and Tate were. There were vacuum packed rats thrown all around the floor. "Sorry! Sorry, it was only me" Mickey apologized. "You told me to investigate, so I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell on me"

"Oh, my God, they're rats" Rose spoke, looking down at the floor. "Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats"

"And you decided to scream" The Doctor asked Mickey.

"It took me by surprise!" Mickey defended himself.

"Like a little girl?"

"It was dark! I was covered in rats!" 

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt" The Doctor stopped when Nova smacked him on the chest. "Ow!" He groaned. He rubbed the spot where she hit him. "What was that for?"

"Stop teasing him!" Nova scolded. She then turned to Mickey with a smile. She held out her hand. "Don't believe we've officially met. I'm The Nightingale. You can call me Nova"

"Are you also, you know, whatever he is?" Mickey motioned towards The Doctor. Nova nodded in response. Mickey then let out an annoyed sigh. "Great, there's two of you now"

"Hello, can we focus?" Rose motioned towards all the rats. "Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?"

"Yeah" Tate agreed with a nod. "It is rather odd"

"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons" Sarah Jane contradicted Rose. "They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"

"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?"

"Anyway," The Doctor spoke up, breaking the tension between Rose and Sarah Jane. "Moving on. Everything started when Mister Finch arrived. We should go and check his office"

They all moved into the corridor and began heading for Finch's office. Tate caught up to Sarah Jane. "Hello" he greeted, gaining her attention. "We haven't met yet. I'm Tate Peltzer"

"Sarah Jane Smith" she smiled. At least this companion was being polite to her. "Are you another one of The Doctor's assistants?"

"I'm actually Nova's assistant" Unlike Rose, Tate accepted the term with a smile. "We just happen to travel with Rose and The Doctor"

"So Nova also travels?"

"Yep. You should see Nova's Tardis. She travels in an old Volkswagen van"

Rose caught up to the two of them. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" she asked Sarah Jane.

"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor" Sarah Jane said, glancing in his direction.

"Oh. Well, he's never mentioned you" 

"Oh, I must've done. Sarah Jane" The Doctor said. "Mention her all the time"

"Hold on" Rose pretended to think about it. "Sorry. Never"

"What, not even once?" Sarah Jane asked, obviously flabbergasted. "He didn't mention me even once?" The two girls walked on ahead, Tate following close behind them with a roll of his eyes. He was already rather fond of Sarah Jane. He couldn't understand why Rose wasn't.

The Doctor, Nova, and Mickey all came to a stop. Mickey placed a hand on The Doctor's shoulder. "Ho, ho, mate. The missus and the ex" He remarked. "Welcome to every man's worst nightmare"

"Mickey, I like you" Nova started, smirking up at him. "But you couldn't be more wrong. Rose isn't the missus in this situation" She winked at The Doctor, and walked away.

The Doctor smirked at her. Mickey pat The Doctor's shoulder. "Oh, I like her"

"Hey!" The Doctor looked at him and growled possessively. "Don't get any ideas"

* * *

They reached Finch's office. The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the lock. "Maybe those rats were food" The Doctor suggested.

"Food for what?" Rose asked.

The Doctor opened the door. He looked up at the ceiling when he noticed something peculiar. "Rose, you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school? Well, they do" There were giant bats hanging from the ceiling.

"No way!" Mickey shrieked, running off. The others followed after him more sedately.

* * *

They all ran out to the school yard. "I am not going back in there!" Mickey announced. "No way!"

"Those were teachers!" Rose gasped.

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse" The Doctor said.

"That all adds up to thirteen" Nova concluded. "Thirteen big bat people. Come on" Everyone turned to go back inside the school. Well, everyone except for Mickey.

"Come on? You've got to be kidding!" he said.

"I need the Tardis. I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen" The Doctor explained.

"I might be able to help you there" Sarah Jane spoke. "I've got something to show you"

* * *

They all went to Sarah Jane's car. She opened up the trunk. There was a green blanket covering something. The Doctor removed the blanket and spoke in excitement. "K9!" He referred to the metal dog. "Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, Tate Peltzer, and Supernova, allow me to introduce K9. Well, K9 Mark Three to be precise"

"Oh, he's brilliant!" Nova commented.

"I would have loved a dog like this when I was younger" Tate mused.

Rose and Mickey didn't seem so impressed with K9. "Why does he look so disco?" Rose asked.

"Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge" The Doctor said. "What's happened to him?"

"Oh, one day, he just," Sarah Jane clicked her tongue. "Nothing"

"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?"

"Well, it's not like getting parts for a Mini Metro, Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone"

"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you, eh?" The Doctor began petting K9, and Nova joined him.

"You may be a little rusted with wires sticking out, but you're the most impressive dog I've ever met!" Nova cooed, scratching K9's ears.

"Hey, what about Einstein?" Tate asked, referring to his golden retriever. 

Nova looked at him and shrugged. "Einstein comes to a close second to K9. No offense, but Einstein still tries bringing long sticks in through the doggy door"

"Look, no offence," Rose said slightly annoyed. "But could you two just stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog. We're busy"

* * *

They all went to a coffee shop. Rose, Tate, and Mickey sat together at the counter while The Doctor, Nova, and Sarah Jane worked on K9. Rose was watching the three of them.

"You see, what's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said I told you so" Mickey snided.

"I'm not listening to this" Rose said.

"Although, I have prepared a little I was right dance that I can show you later" 

"Two quid, love" The woman behind the counter said. Rose paid her, and the woman gave her a portion of chips. The three of them found a table.

"All this time you've been giving it, he's different, when the truth is, he's just like any other bloke" 

"You don't know what you're talking about" Rose said. "Besides, it's not like I'm in love with The Doctor, because I'm not"

"Maybe not, because if you were, you'd have no chance with him and Nova being so attached at the hip" Mickey commented. 

Rose ate her chips and looked at Tate. "Doesn't it bother you that Nova might have travelled with others before you?"

"Well, she hasn't" Tate answered. "I've asked her before, and she said I'm the first one she's ever travelled with"

"Oh, lucky you" Rose scoffed at him. "You have the honor of being a first"

Tate rolled his eyes and continued. "Even if she had travelled with others before me, I wouldn't let it bother me" 

_Maybe Tate is right_. Rose thought to herself. She then looked to Mickey with the intent of commenting on his earlier remark about The Doctor and Nova. "Of course, they're attached at the hip. They're both the last two Time Lords. They deserve to be with each other"

"And Nova being easy on the eyes isn't that bad" Mickey remarked. As Nova had done to The Doctor earlier, she gave Mickey a smack on the chest. 

"Don't get any ideas" Rose said. Her eyes drifted to the two Time Lords. Nova was saying something, and The Doctor was staring at her with what Rose inferred was love in his eyes. She smiled at the sight of them. "Nova belongs to The Doctor. She's his Supernova"


	13. School Reunion 3.3

"I thought of you on Christmas Day" Sarah Jane said to The Doctor. "This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead. I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there"

"Right on top of it, yeah" The Doctor said.

"And Rose?"

"She was there too"

"What about you Nova?" Sarah Jane looked to her. "Where were you during Christmas? Were you with The Doctor?"

"No" Nova answered, shaking her head. "Tate and I had dinner with his mother, then we went to this extravagant Christmas party hosted by one of our friends"

"How long have you been travelling with Tate?" 

"Since I regenerated and came to Earth about a year ago. My Tardis landed in front of his house. He let me stay with him for a couple days, and then to show my thanks for his hospitality, I decided to take him on a trip. I never really travelled with anyone before. I usually liked to do my own thing" Nova smiled as she remembered the first trip they took. "I remember I first took him to see his parents get married. I remember the smile he had on his face, and I knew at that moment, I needed a friend"

The Doctor watched with a smile as she talked about Tate. He noticed the sad smile that appeared on her face. "I desperately needed a friend. He's the first friend I've had since the..." The Doctor knew what Nova was talking about. Nova sighed, letting the sad thought slip from her mind. "I'm thankful for Tate. He's my best friend and I don't know what I'd do if I lost him"

Sarah Jane smiled and placed a hand on Nova's arm. "It sounds like you got a good deal with Tate. And now, you've got The Doctor and Rose by your side"

Nova smiled as she looked over at The Doctor, who was still smiling at her. "That I do" The Doctor leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

Sarah Jane's heart warmed at the sight of them. Then a sort of sad smile appeared on her face. "Did I do something wrong?" She asked The Doctor. "Because you never came back for me. You just dumped me"

"I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed" The Doctor explained.

"I waited for you. I missed you"

"Oh, you didn't need me. You were getting on with your life"

"You were my life. You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, or with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"

The Doctor stopped working on K9 to look at Sarah Jane. "All those things you saw, do you want me to apologise for that?"

"No, but we get a taste of that splendour and then we have to go back" 

"Look at you, you're investigating. You found that school. You're doing what we always did"

"You could have come back"

"I couldn't"

"Why not?" The Doctor didn't answer as he went back to working on K9. Sarah Jane continued. "It wasn't Croydon. Where you dropped me off, that wasn't Croydon"

"Where was it?" The Doctor asked.

"Aberdeen!"

"Right. That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" Sarah Jane gave The Doctor an amused smile and shook her head. K9 then came back to life. "Oh, hey. Now we're in business" The Doctor got up from his seat and walked round to the front of K9.

"Master" K9 greeted.

"He recognises me"

"Affirmative"

"Rose, give us the oil"

Rose, Tate, and Mickey all walked over to join the others. Rose had the oil which she collected in a jar. "I wouldn't touch it, though" Rose warned. "That dinner lady got all scorched"

"Believe me, she's not kidding" Tate backed up Rose's claim.

"I'm no dinner lady. And I don't often say that" The Doctor scooped up some of the oil on his finger and smeared the sample onto K9's probe. "Here we go" The Doctor closed the jar and put it down. K9 started beeping as he started reading the sample. "Come on, boy. Here we go"

"Oil. Ex ex ex extract. Ana ana analysing" K9 said.

Mickey started giggling. "Listen to him, man. That's a voice"

"Careful!" Sarah Jane warned. "That's my dog"

"Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane Oil" K9 confirmed.

"They're Krillitanes" Nova said, a horrified look plastered on her face.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked.

"Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad"

"What are Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane wondered.

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever"

The Doctor took over from Nova. "The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognise them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks"

"What exactly are they doing here then?" Tate asked.

"It's the children. They're doing something to the children"

* * *

Sarah Jane and Mickey were putting K9 back into the car. "So what's the deal with the tin dog?" Mickey asked. 

"The Doctor likes travelling with an entourage. Sometimes they're humans, sometimes they're aliens, and sometimes they're tin dogs" Sarah Jane pointed at K9. "What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?"

"Me? I'm their Man in Havana. I'm the technical support. I'm..." The realization came over Mickey. "Oh, my God. I'm the tin dog" Mickey sat down as Sarah Jane pat him on the back.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova stepped out of the coffee shop hand in hand. Rose and Tate walked with them, with Rose walking alongside The Doctor, and Tate alongside Nova. "How many of us have there been travelling with you?" Rose asked The Doctor.

"Does it matter?" The Doctor said.

"Yeah, it does, if I'm just the latest in a long line" 

"As opposed to what?"

Nova and Tate gave each other a look. Then they looked between The Doctor and Rose. "Okay. This is a personal issue between you two" Nova said. "So Tate and I will give you some privacy" Nova let go of The Doctor's hand and she walked off with Tate.

Once they were gone, Rose proceeded. "I thought you and me were.... I obviously got it wrong. However I love having Nova and Tate with us. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this? Now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me?"

"No, not to you" The Doctor assured.

"But Sarah Jane? You were that close to her once, and now you never even mention her. Why not?"

"I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die"

"What about Tate then?"

"Whether Tate leaves or not would be Nova's choice. But as for you Rose, you can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords" 

"But even if I do leave one day, you'd still have Nova" Rose smiled. "You'll never be alone again with her around"

The Doctor returned the smile. He looked over at Nova, who was giving her companion a hug. "I suppose you're right"

* * *

Nova and Tate walked over to the car where Mickey and Sarah Jane were. "Nova, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" she responded.

"You're not just gonna drop me off someday and leave me, are you?" 

Nova sighed. "Where is this coming from? Sarah Jane and The Doctor?"

"It's just..." Tate paused. "He used to travel with Sarah Jane, and he left her behind. Are you gonna do the same with me?"

"Tate, I would never do that" Nova placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look, something bad happened to my home before I met you. There was a war, I got gravely injured, so I took my Tardis and came to Earth for refuge. I regenerated, literally moments before I met you. At that time, I was very weak and you took care of me

"Any other person, I would have just left without word. But you had been so kind to me. You let me sleep in your bed, you offered me food, and your mother even gave me some of her old clothes. To thank you for being so kind, I decided to take you on that trip to your parent's wedding. Do you remember that?"

Tate smiled and nodded. "Of course, I do. They looked so in love with each other"

"Then I saw how happy you were, and how happy I was seeing you happy. I realized I couldn't be alone anymore. You were the first friendly face I saw since the war. You were my first friend. You mean so much to me, Tate" Nova became saddened. "There's a reason I never used to travel with others. I'm a Time Lady. I live on while others decay and die. I didn't want to get attached to anyone because I knew I would eventually have to leave. But then you came along, and I got attached. Now I don't ever want you to leave"

"Nova, you don't ever have to worry about me leaving" Tate pulled her into a hug. "I love you and I always will"

Nova smiled. "I love you too, Tate" Of course, neither of them meant love in a romantic way. It was the sort of way you loved your family. A screeching noise made Nova and Tate pull out of their hug. A giant bat swooped down. Everyone ducked and the bat flew off.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane asked.

"But it didn't even touch her. It just flew off. What did it do that for?" Rose wondered.

* * *

They all returned to the school the next morning. "Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside" The Doctor said. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Rose held out her hand, expecting him to give it to her, but he gave the sonic to Sarah Jane instead. "Here, you might need this"

Nova pulled out her sonic screwdriver and handed it to Rose. "You might need two" She winked at her.

Rose smiled at her. "Thanks"

"Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside" The Doctor said.

"Just stand outside?" Mickey asked appalled.

"Here, take these" Sarah Jane said, throwing her car keys to Mickey. "You can keep K9 company"

"Don't forget to keep the window open a crack" The Doctor said.

"But he's metal!" Mickey stated. 

"I didn't mean for him"

Tate walked up to Mickey. "I'll stay behind with you"

Mickey nodded at him. "Thanks. I appreciate that" He was happy at least one person was being considerate to his feelings. 

"What are you two gonna do?" Rose asked The Doctor and Nova.

"It's time we had a word with Mister Finch" Nova said.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova met Finch at the swimming pool. They stood at one side while Finch stood at the other. "Who are you?" The Doctor asked.

"My name is Brother Lassa. And you?" Finch asked.

"The Doctor"

"And what of your beautiful friend?"

"The Nightingale" Nova answered. She felt The Doctor's hand latch onto her own. "Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"

"It's been our form for nearly ten generations now. Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day. Just imagine"

"And now your shapes human" The Doctor mused.

"A personal favourite, that's all" 

"And the other's?"

"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath. And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and chaos. And of course, they're all but extinct. Only you two. The last"

"This plan of yours. What is it?" Nova asked.

"You don't know?"

"I wouldn't be asking if we did"

The two Time Lords and Finch had been walking the length of the pool unti they eventually came face-to-face with each other. Finch continued. "Well, show me how clever you both are. Work it out"

"If we don't like it, then it will stop" The Doctor said.

"Fascinating. Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor and Nightingale?"

"I'm so old now. I used to have so much mercy. You get one warning. That was it" The Doctor and Nova turned and began walking away.

"But we're not even enemies. Soon you will embrace us" The two Time Lords looked at Finch again. "The next time we meet, you both will join with me. I promise you" Finch then walked away.

* * *

Mickey and Tate remained inside of Sarah Jane's car. "Surveillance. If you ask me, it's just another way of saying go sit at the back of the class with the safety scissors and glitter" Mickey complained. He looked over at K9. "That'd be me talking to a metal dog, then" He looked over to Tate. "What's the deal with you then, Tate? Where do you fit into all of this?"

Tate shrugged. "Rose is The Doctor's companion, and I'm Nova's companion, I suppose"

"Are you sure that you and Rose aren't just becoming baggage now?" Mickey asked. "I knew The Doctor before he was this Doctor. Before you and Nova came along. He and Rose were annoyingly close. Now, The Doctor and The Nightingale are together. They could do this stuff all on their own. Do they really need you and Rose?"

Tate rolled his eyes. "Mickey, I like you and consider you a friend. I mean, it's nice having another male around that isn't The Doctor, y'know?"

"Yeah" Mickey nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. And you actually like me and want me around"

"Right, but understand this. Rose and I are not baggage. I realize that The Doctor and Nova could choose to just leave us behind one day, and spend the rest of their lives together, travelling just the two of them, but they don't. Rose and I are important to them. We're like a family"

"I guess that makes you lot one weird family"

* * *

Rose and Sarah Jane were working on the computers. While it was working smoothly for Rose using Nova's sonic screwdriver, Sarah Jane was having trouble using The Doctor's sonic. "It's not working" Sarah Jane said.

Rose sighed and put down Nova's sonic. "Give it to me" Rose took The Doctor's sonic from Sarah Jane. She began working on the computer Sarah Jane was previously working on.

"Used to work first time in my day" 

"Well, things were a lot simpler back then"

"Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?"

Rose started typing on the computer. "I've got a feeling you're about to"

"I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be, and I don't want you to feel I'm intruding"

"I don't feel threatened by you, if that's what you mean"

"Right. Good. Because I'm not interested in picking up where we left off"

"No? With the big sad eyes and the robot dog? What else were you doing last night?"

"I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth"

Rose stood up. "The thing is, when you two met they'd only just got rid of rationing. No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for you"

" I had no problem with space stuff. I saw things you wouldn't believe" Sarah Jane exclaimed.

"Try me" Rose challenged.

"Mummies"

"I've met ghosts"

"Robots. Lots of robots"

"Slitheen, in Downing Street"

"Daleks!"

"Met the Emperor"

"Anti-matter monsters"

"Gas masked zombies"

"Real living dinosaurs"

"Real living werewolf"

"The Loch Ness Monster!" Sarah Jane shouted at the top of her lungs. 

"Seriously?" Rose asked. Sarah Jane cupped her hands over her mouth, and Rose smiled. "Listen to us. It's like me and my mate Shireen. The only time we fell out was over a man, and we're arguing over the Doctor. With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety miles per hour, and you'd go, what? and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

"All the time. Does he still stroke bits of the Tardis?"

"Yeah! Yeah, he does. I'm like, do you two want to be alone?" Rose and Sarah Jane were finally getting along and laughing with each other. At that moment, The Doctor and Nova walked into the computer lab.

"How's it going?" The Doctor asked. The two girls kept laughing while looking at The Doctor. "What? Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these" They began laughing even harder, and it was enough for Nova to even start laughing, even though she had no idea what they were laughing about. "What? Stop it" He looked to Nova. "Why are you laughing?"

"I-I don't know" Nova clutched her stomach. She let out a snort from laughing so hard. "Laughters as contagious as the common cold!"

A klaxon went off. The girls all ceased their laughter. Students came into the school and began crowding around the IT classroom. Rose tried to stop them from getting in. "No, no. This classroom's out of bounds. You've all got to go to the South Hall. Off you go. South Hall!" The students turned around and started walking to the South Hall like Rose had said.

The Doctor had some wires looped around his neck and shoulders as he held the CPU in his hands. Nova had her sonic screwdriver handy so she scanned the CPU. Sarah Jane walked up beside her.

"Can't shift it" she said.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah Jane exclaimed. "The Doctor's can. I assumed yours could too"

"Anything except a deadlock seal"

"There's got to be something inside here" The Doctor said. "What're they teaching those kids?"

All the computers turned on and a symbol flashed on the screen. Sarah Jane and Rose inspected the monitors. "You wanted the programme? There it is" Sarah Jane said.

The symbol flashed on a bigger screen at the front of the classroom. "Some sort of code" The Doctor said. "No. No, that can't be"

* * *

Mickey and Tate were still sitting in the car. Tate noticed one of the students, Kenny, at the main entrance of the school. He was banging on the glass door, trying to open it. "That can't be good" Tate muttered. 

"What is it?" Mickey wondered.

Tate didn't answer as he got out of the car and ran to the door. As soon as Kenny saw Tate approaching, he spoke. "They've taken them all!"

"What?"

"They've taken all the children!" 

Tate nodded and ran back to the car. Mickey had gotten out of the car and was looking at Tate in confusion. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. Kenny said something about all the children being taken" Tate got back into the car and uncovered K9. He started pressing the buttons on his back. "Come on, I need some help"

"Try hitting him" Mickey suggested.

"I'm real sorry about this, K9" Tate apologized before hitting K9 on the head. K9 turned on.

"System restarting. All primary drives functioning" K9 said.

"You're working!" Tate cheered. "Okay, no time to explain. we need to get inside the school. Do you have like, I don't know, a lock picking device?"

"We are in a car"

"Maybe a drill attachment?"

Mickey knew what K9 was implying, but Tate was so panicked, it wasn't getting through to his brain. "Uh, Tate?"

"Not now Mickey! Come on, K9. Now's not the time for this! There must be something you can do!"

"We are in a car" K9 repeated.

"Wait a second" Tate finally realized. "We're in a car" He turned to Mickey. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, the tin dog beat me to it" Mickey said.

"Mickey, I'll let you have the honor of crashing the car" Mickey nodded and then climbed into the driver's seat. Tate looked back to Kenny. "Get back!" Tate then climbed into the passenger's seat. Mickey drove the car into the glass doors.


	14. School Reunion 3.4

"The Skasis Paradigm" The Doctor said. Symbols continued flashing on the big screen and all the computer monitors. "They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm"

"The Skasis what?" Sarah Jane asked.

"The God maker. The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control"

"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose wondered.

"Yes" Nova nodded. She looked at Rose. "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a, as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer" 

Rose's eyes widened. "But that oil's on the chips. Tate and I've been eating them"

"What's fifty nine times thirty five?"

"Two thousand and sixty five. Oh, my God"

"But why use children? Can't they use adults?" Sarah Jane asked.

" No, it's got to be children" The Doctor said. "The God maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code, they're using their souls"

Finch entered the room. "Let the lesson begin" He said. Everyone's attention turned towards Finch. "Think of it, Doctor and Nightingale. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it"

Nova rolled her eyes, while The Doctor put his hands on his hips. "Oh yeah?" The Doctor said. "The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch? Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are"

"I do too" Nova agreed.

"You both act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order? Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good" Finch tried to tempt.

"What?" The Doctor scoffed. "By someone like you?"

"No, someone like you. The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilisations you could save. Perganon, Assinta. Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords reborn" 

Finch looked at Nova. "I offer you the same, Nightingale, but there is something else you seek. The whole fate of the universe depends on it. Something about stones and keeping them out of the wrong hands. I could bring them to you. You could end the long search"

"Don't listen to him!" Sarah Jane said. "Neither of you!"

"And you," Finch moved towards Sarah Jane. "Could be with him throughout eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes" Finch looked to The Doctor. "How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us" Finch then looked to Nova. "You too, Nightingale. I can make it certain that you complete your task. You find the stones." Finch then looked between the two Time Lords. "I can also make sure that you two stay together forever"

"I could save everyone" The Doctor said.

"Yes"

"I could stop the war"

"The stones would finally be found" Nova spoke up. "I wouldn't have to search anymore" Then she glanced over at The Doctor, who was staring back at her intently. The two of them joined hands. "We'd be together"

"Forever"

Finch smiled, thinking that he got to them. Sarah Jane began to protest. "No. The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends"

The Doctor let go of Nova's hand. He grabbed a chair and threw it at the big screen, breaking it in the process. All the monitors turned off. "Out!" 

* * *

The Doctor, Nova, Rose and Sarah Jane met Tate and Mickey at the end of a staircase. "What is going on?" Mickey asked.

The Krillitanes began to approaching. They all ran for safety until the came to the cafeteria. There was a door on the other side, but it was locked. Finch caught up to them, followed by all the other bats. "Are they my teachers?" asked Kenny, who was taking refuge in the cafeteria.

"Yeah" The Doctor confirmed. "Sorry"

"We need the Doctor and the Nightingale alive" Finch commanded. The Doctor protectively stepped in front of Nova. "As for the others? You can feast" The Krillitanes swooped down at all the companions. They hid under a table. The Doctor grabbed a chair and started swinging it at the swooping bats. Suddenly, a laser beam hit one of the Krillitanes. K9 had come to the rescue.

"K9" Sarah Jane cheered.

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress" K9 said. 

"Come on!" The Doctor called out, taking a hold of Nova's hand. Everyone began running. "K9, hold them back!"

"Affirmative, master" K9 started firing more lasers. "Maximum defence mode"

* * *

The Tardis team found refuge in the physics classroom. The Doctor shut the door and then locked it with his sonic screwdriver. They were safe for now and finally had the chance to calm down. "It's the oil" The Doctor said. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it! They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it" Rose answered.

The Krillitanes started battering at the door. "Okay, we need to get to the kitchens. Mickey"

"What now?" Mickey wondered. "Hold the coats?"

The Doctor ignored him and continued to give him direction. " Get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?" Kenny set off the fire alarm. All the Krillitanes screeched in pain. That gave everyone a chance to escape.

* * *

When they got to the corridor just outside the cafeteria, K9 came out. "Master"

"Come on, boy!" The Doctor said. He gave K9 a pat on the head. "Good boy" K9 followed with them. They made it to the kitchen. The Doctor and Nova tried their sonic screwdrivers on all the barrels. "They've been deadlock sealed"

Nova groaned in frustration. "Finch must've done that. We can't open them"

"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing" K9 said.

"Right. Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me" Everyone except for The Doctor and Nova ran out of the kitchen. "K9, stay with us"

While The Doctor stayed with K9, Nova wheeled all the barrels over in a line for K9 to shoot at. "Capacity for only one shot, Mistress. For maximum impact, I must be stationed directly beside the vat"

"But you'll be trapped inside" Nova said running back over to The Doctor and K9.

"That is correct"

"We can't let you do that" The Doctor said.

"No alternative possible, Master"

"Goodbye, old friend"

"Goodbye, Master"

"Goodbye, K9" 

"Goodbye, Mistress"

The Doctor and Nova both said, "You good dog"

"Affirmative" K9 twitched his antennae and wagged his tail.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova ran outside. Sarah Jane was waiting for them right outside the door. The Doctor sealed the door. "Where's K9?" Sarah Jane asked.

"We need to run!" Nova told her.

"Where is he?" Nova grabbed Sarah Jane. The three of them ran away from the door. "What have you two done!"

They ran to safety just in time just as the school blew up. All the children and rejoiced as they threw their papers up in the air. One of the students hugged Mickey. Rose and Tate hugged each other. An amused smile appeared on Nova's face when she heard one of the students say, "Oh my God. Kenny blew up the school! It was Kenny!"

All the students began chanting Kenny's name. The Doctor and Nova looked at Sarah Jane. She wore a sad expression. "I'm sorry" The Doctor apologized.

"Me too" Nova said.

"It's all right" Sarah Jane tried to convince herself. "He was just a daft metal dog. It's fine, really" She burst into tears. The Doctor brought her into a side hug, and Nova rubbed her back.

* * *

The Tardis had relocated itself from the school to Belle Vue Park. Sarah Jane walked up to it. The Doctor and Nova stepped out. "Cup of tea?" The Doctor offered. "Nova made some. She makes a pretty good cup of tea"

"The trick is only a pinch of sugar and a drizzle of honey" Nova said.

Sarah Jane nodded at them. The Doctor and Nova stepped aside so she could step into the Tardis. Mickey, Rose, and Tate were already inside. The Doctor and Nova followed in after her. Sarah Jane looked around and then she looked at The Doctor. "You've redecorated"

"Do you like it?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but er, yeah. It'll do"

"I love it" Rose said with a smile.

"Me too" Tate nodded in agreement.

"Makes me curious to see your Tardis, Nova. Tate mentioned you travel in an old Volkswagen" Sarah Jane said.

"Yep" Nova said popping the 'p' "A Tardis you can both fly and drive"

"Nova's Tardis is lovely as well" Rose mentioned.

Sarah Jane nodded at Rose. "Hey, you what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?"

"No idea" Rose shook her head. "It's gone now. The oil's faded" She looked to Tate for an answer. "What about you? You figure it out?"

"It's faded for me too" Tate said.

"But both of you are still clever" Sarah Jane complimented. "More than a match for them" Sarah Jane nodded towards The Doctor and Nova.

"You and me both" Rose said. She looked towards The Doctor. "Doctor?"

"Er, we're about to head off, but you could come with us" The Doctor offered.

Sarah Jane looked between everyone. She smiled and her shoulders dropped with a sigh. "No. I can't do this anymore. Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own"

"Can I come?" Mickey asked. "Not with you" He pointed at Sarah Jane. He then looked at The Doctor. "I mean with you? Because I'm not the tin dog, and I want to see what's out there"

"Oh, go on, Doctor" Sarah Jane urged. "Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board"

"Okay then, I could do with a laugh" The Doctor said. Mickey grinned. "Nova, what do you think?"

Nova grew a huge smile. "Welcome aboard, Mickey Smith!" She shook Mickey's hand. "Believe me, you're gonna have so much fun!" Maybe Mickey was wrong. Nova wouldn't be all that bad to be around. 

"I'm glad you're sticking around, Mickey" Tate said.

"Thanks" Mickey said. He looked to Rose. "Rose, is that okay?"

Rose honestly didn't want Mickey coming along, but she wasn't going to say that to his face. Instead, she said, "No, great. Why not?"

An awkward silence came about. Rose kept her arms crossed as she looked down at the floor. Everyone else glanced at each other. Sarah Jane broke the silence. "I'd better go" She pulled Rose off to the side.

"What do I do?" Rose glanced at The Doctor. "Do I stay with him?"

"Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for" Sarah Jane said. She hugged Rose. "Find me, if you need to, one day. Find me. And tell Tate the same. If he needs to, he can find me" She let go of Rose and walked out of the Tardis. The Doctor stepped out with her. "It's daft, but I haven't ever thanked you for that time. And like I said, I wouldn't have missed it for the world"

"Something to tell the grandkids" The Doctor said.

"Oh, I think it'll be someone else's grandkids now" 

"Right. Yes, sorry. I didn't get a chance to ask. You haven't? There hasn't been anyone? You know?"

"Well, there was this one guy. I travelled with him for a while, but he was a tough act to follow" Sarah Jane smiled and her mind wandered to Nova. "Don't ever let Nova go, Doctor. You two need each other"

The Doctor smiled. "I don't think I could let her go. Not now. Not after I've..." He trailed off, but Sarah Jane knew what he was trying to say.

"She feels the same as you do, Doctor. I can see it in the way she looks at you" Sarah Jane paused. "Goodbye, Doctor"

"Oh, it's not goodbye"

"Do say it. Please. This time. Say it"

"Goodbye, my Sarah Jane" The Doctor lifted Sarah Jane off the ground in a big hug. He put her down and they gave each other a smile. The Doctor walked back into the Tardis. Sarah Jane began walking away as the Tardis dematerialised. At the last moment, she turned around.

"K9!" 

"Mistress" K9 said. He moved towards Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane kneeled down and pat him "But you were blown up"

"The Master rebuilt me. My systems are much improved with new undetectable hyperlink facilities"

"Oh, he replaced you with a brand new model"

"Affirmative"

"Yeah, he does that. Come on, you. Home. We've got work to do"

"Affirmative"


	15. Nova's Task

Tate and Mickey were in some room of the Tardis, getting better acquainted with one another. Both of them were happy that there was another male travelling. Rose was in the console room, sitting on the bench, reading a magazine.

The Doctor and Nova both stood at the console. He was letting her pick their next destination. Nova thought hard about where they were going to. Considering the fact that this was Mickey's first time travelling with them, she wanted to go somewhere he might actually like.

While Nova was pressing buttons, The Doctor kept his gaze on her. He smiled at the adorable sight of her eyebrows furrowing in concentration and the way her tongue would slightly stick out of her mouth.

The way he felt about her, was a way he never felt about anybody before. He thought about what Sarah Jane said to him. He did need Nova in his life.

She was like him. As much as The Doctor has come to care deeply about both Rose and Tate, he knew that they couldn't travel with him forever. But Nova could.

At least, he hoped she would want to travel with him forever. He knew that he could never let her go now. Not after how deeply in love he had fallen for her.

"You keep staring at me, Doctor" Nova said. She looked up from the console and towards her fellow Time Lord. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes" The Doctor said. He took a step closer to her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Everything is perfect"

"Oh, just kiss already!" Rose said. The both of them forgot she was even in the room. "I can feel the sexual tension between you two"

"Sexual tension?" Nova repeated, a deep blush appearing on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Rose"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Just admit that you two are in love with each other!"

"We are not!" Nova quickly denied.

"That is not true!" The Doctor denied at the same time.

Rose groaned and put her head in her hands. "Seriously, you two. There's nothing wrong with being in love. Is there some kind of rule that says two Time Lords can't fall in love?"

Nova huffed. "Even if there was, I hardly think it would matter now considering we're the last two"

"Then just say the magic words to each other!"

"First," The Doctor said as he crossed his arms. He leaned against the console. "You need to admit you're in love with Tate"

A deep blush appeared on Rose's face. "I am not..."

Nova smirked. "Hmm" she hummed. "Sure you're not"

"Okay, I'll drop the subject" Something else came to Rose's mind. She remembered something that Finch said to Nova back at the school. "I have been wondering something though"

"What is it?" Nova asked.

"Back at the school, when Finch was trying to tempt you two, he said something about stones to you. Something about the fate of the universe depending on you finding these stones"

Now The Doctor had become interested in knowing about these stones. "What exactly would these stones be?" He asked and then raised an eyebrow. "And why would they be so dangerous?"

"Rose, could you find Tate and Mickey?" Nova requested of her other best friend. "I suppose it's time to tell you about my very important task"

* * *

The Doctor, Rose and Mickey all sat on the bench while Nova and Tate stood together. "What's so important that you've got us all gathered?" Mickey wondered. Not that he was complaining. It felt nice to be included.

"It's about a very important task given to Tate and I by a group of friends we have" Nova began. "Our friends are a group of superheroes known as The Avengers"

"The Avengers?" Rose repeated. "How come I've never heard of them?"

"Because in 2012, an invasion in New York happens. Right now, it's only 2006"

"Nova and I were going a trip and we just so happened to stumble upon the invasion" Tate added.

"What was invading?" The Doctor wondered.

"It was, or should I say will be, a Chitauri invasion" Nova said. "Anyways, Tate and I helped put a stop to the invasion"

"Did you ever find out why they were invading?" Mickey asked.

"It turns out the Chitauri didn't just invade New York by random. Someone had sent them to invade to retrieve one of the six Infinity Stones"

Rose quirked an eyebrow. "Infinity stones?" She looked at The Doctor. "Have you heard of these before?"

"This is my first time hearing about them" The Doctor admitted. Nevertheless, he was intrigued. "Please, continue"

"Like Nova said, there are six of these Infinity stones. There's the Space Stone, Reality Stone, Power Stone, Soul Stone, Mind Stone, and Time Stone" Tate listed off.

"One is dangerous enough on it's own, but if all six end up in the wrong hands, the universe as we know it is doomed"

"And that's why you need to find them all before someone else does" The Doctor concluded. Nova nodded. If this was important to her, he wanted to help her find the Infinity Stones. "Do you know the locations?"

"I only know the Time Stone is in the possession of Dr. Stephen Strange. He's some kind of sorcerer or something"

"The Sorcerer Supreme" Tate corrected her.

"Yeah, that. The Time Stone is safe with him for now. As for the others, it's a challenge looking for them. They're all in different places and in different times"

"Well then," Rose said, standing up on her feet. "I suppose we should get to work on finding these stones right away"

Nova shook her head. "You guys really don't need to worry about it too much. This is my responsibility"

The Doctor also stood up. He walked over to Nova, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Supernova, you're not gonna stop me from helping you save the universe, and if it's really this important to you, I want to help"

Nova smiled at him. "Thanks Doctor"

Finally, Mickey stood up as well. "Saving the universe?" He rubbed his hands together and smiled. "Sign me up"

Nova's phone began to ring. She looked at it and noticed that Tony Stark was calling her. "If you'll guys excuse me, I have to take this call" She pressed answer and went into another room.

* * *

"How's my favourite space lady these days?" Tony asked.

"I'm fine, Stark. Why are you calling? I said I'd call you if I made any progress" Nova said.

"I'm offended that I'm not even allowed to call and ask how you and Tate are doing"

"We're fine, Tony" Nova assured him. The Avengers knew that Nova and Tate travelled throughout space and time, and they also knew that sometimes, they came across dangerous threats. The Avengers couldn't help but worry sometimes. "How's everyone?"

"Nothing has tried to invade in awhile, so that's good. The kid keeps asking about you, and so does the old man"

Nova's two hearts leapt. "Really? I can understand Peter's curiosity, but why would Steve be asking about me?"

"You really don't need me to answer that for you, right?" She could hear Tony smirk. "You've got the smartest brain in the universe. I'm sure you could figure it out. Anyways, I'm calling because I'm throwing a party, and you and Tate have VIP invitations"

Nova pondered it over. "Could we bring some friends?"

"The more there merrier. I'll send the details to your phone. Oh, and happy adventuring or whatever" That was the last thing Tony said before the line went dead.

* * *

She went back to the console room. Rose, Mickey and Tate weren't there, but The Doctor was and he had his nose deep in a book. He was also wearing his glasses, which Nova thought made him even more handsome.

"I was in the Tardis library," The Doctor started when he sensed Nova's presence. "And I found this book on ancient artifacts found throughout the universe. Maybe it'll have something on the Infinity Stones"

"You're really serious about helping me, aren't you?" Nova smiled. The Doctor looked up from the book and at her. He returned the smile.

"Of course I am. Like I said earlier, if it's important to you, it's important to me"

Nova brought him into a hug. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her, and nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck. He could smell her hair. It had an aroma of vanilla and lavender.

Something about being embraced in The Doctor's arms just felt so right to Nova. It's like they were two puzzles pieces that fit each other perfectly. He also smelt very good. Pine and cinnamon danced at her nostrils.

Rose was right. The two Time Lords were in love. They were both just scared to admit it.


	16. The Girl In The Fireplace 4.1

The Tardis materialized on some spaceship in the future. Everyone stepped out of the Tardis. Mickey's eyes lit up when he saw where they were. "It's a spaceship" He mused in amazement. "Brilliant! I got a spaceship on my first go"

There were lots of bits and pieces of equipment scattered about. "It looks kind of abandoned" Rose commented. "Anyone on board?"

"Nah, nothing here" The Doctor assured. "Well, nothing dangerous. Well, not that dangerous. You know what, I'll just have a quick scan, in case there's anything dangerous"

Rose walked up beside Nova. "What's the date? How far have we gone?"

"About three thousand years into your future, give or take" Nova answered. She found a light switch. She flipped it and all the lights turned on. Part of the ceiling was just window, revealing the stars. "Fifty first century. Diagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey. Two and a half galaxies"

"Mickey Smith," Rose started. She and Tate crowded around him. The Doctor and Nova stayed together, looking at little bits and bobbles. "Meet the universe. See anything you like?"

"It's pretty amazing, right?" Tate said.

"It's so realistic!" Mickey said as he stared out a window.

"Dear me, had some cowboys in here" The Doctor remarked. "Got a ton of repair work going on. Now that's odd. Look at that" He referred to a screen the showed a blueprint of the ship. "All the warp engines are going. Full capacity. There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe, but we're not moving. So where's all that power going?"

"Where's all the crew in this place?" Tate wondered, his head turning in every direction.

"Good question. No life readings on board"

"Well, we're in deep space. They didn't just nip out for a quick fag" Rose said.

"No, I've checked all the smoking pods" The Doctor paused when he noticed an aroma. "Can you smell that?"

"Yeah, someone's cooking"

"Sunday roast, definitely" Mickey added.

Nova pressed a button on the console which opened a door behind them. The door revealed a paneled wall and an ornate fireplace with a clock on the mantelpiece. "Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship" Nova said. She stepped closer to the fireplace. "Eighteenth century. French. Nice mantle" She took out her sonic screwdriver and scanned the fireplace. "Not a hologram. It's not even a reproduction. This actually is an eighteenth century French fireplace. Double sided. There's another room through there" She crouched down and looked through the fireplace.

Rose looked out a porthole that was on the same wall. "There can't be. That's the outer hull of the ship. Look"

"Hello" Nova greeted the young girl who was kneeling on the other side of the fireplace. 

"Hello" the young girl greeted back.

"What's your name?"

"Reinette"

"Reinette, that's a lovely name. Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?"

"In my bedroom"

"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?"

"Paris, of course"

"Paris, right"

"Mademoiselle, what are you doing in my fireplace?"

"Oh, it's just a routine fire check. Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Of course I can. Seventeen hundred and twenty seven"

"Right, lovely. One of my favourites. August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night, night" Nova waved goodbye to the young girl.

"Goodnight, Mademoiselle" Reinette waved back.

Nova stood up again. Rose, Tate and Mickey stared at her with their minds racing with curiosity. "Nova, you said this was the fifty first century" Mickey said.

"She did" The Doctor said. "But then I said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe. I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink"

"What's that?"

"No idea. Just made it up. Didn't want to say magic door"

"And on the other side of the magic door is France in 1727?" Rose asked.

"She was speaking French" Nova said. 

"Right, period french too" The Doctor added. He took off his coat and then hung it up. Then he grabbed Nova's hand and they went back over to the fireplace. 

"She was speaking English" Mickey contradicted. "I heard her"

"That's the Tardis" Rose explained, draping her arm over Mickey's shoulder. 

"It translates for you" Tate added.

"Even French?" Mickey gasped.

Using his free hand, The Doctor began looking for some kind of switch on the fireplace. "Gotcha!" He said once he found it. He flipped the switch and the fireplace turned around. It brought The Doctor and Nova into Reinette's bedroom. The two of them stepped away from the fireplace, and went over to the window. It was snowing outside. Reinette, who was peacefully sleeping on her bed, woke up with a start.

"It's okay" Nova said. Reinette sat up in her bed and looked at the two of them. "Don't scream. It's me. It's the fireplace lady. Look" Nova let go of The Doctor's hand and walked over to Reinette's bedside table. She lit the candle with her sonic screwdriver. "We were talking just a moment ago. I was in your fireplace. I brought my friend with me" She motioned towards The Doctor. He smiled, waving at the young girl.

"Mademoiselle, that was weeks ago" Reinette said. "That was months"

"Really?" Nova scrunched her face. She walked back over to the fireplace and started knocking on it. "Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in"

"Who are you two? And what are you doing here?"

The broken clock on the mantle caught Nova's attention. She motioned for The Doctor to come look at it. "Doctor, come look at this clock, will you?"

He moved to stand next to her. He also looked at the clock. The ticking was fairly loud. "Okay, that's scary" He said.

"You're scared of a broken clock?" Reinette asked.

"Just a bit scared, yeah. Just a little tiny bit. Because, you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room, then what's that?" The Doctor referred to the ticking noise. "Because, you see, that's not a clock. You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. The size of a man"

"What is it?" 

"Now, let's think" Nova started. She began moving around the room. "If you were a thing that ticked and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do, break the clock. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two?" Nova looked towards Reinette's bed. "You might start to wonder if you're really alone. Stay on the bed. Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge" She got down on the floor and waved her sonic screwdriver under the bed. Something knocked it out of her hand. It disoriented her for a moment. When she looked back under the bed, she noticed a pair of feet on the other side.

"Reinette," The Doctor whispered to the girl. He also noticed the smiley masked figure standing behind Reinette. "Don't look round" He pointed at the figure. "You, stay exactly where you are"

Nova slowly got on her knees. She was at eye level with Reinette. Nova could also feel The Doctor standing directly behind her. "Hold still. Let me look" Nova said to Reinette. She held the girl's head and looked her deep in the eyes. "You've been scanning her brain"

"What?" The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows. He looked at the figure. "You've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?"

"I don't understand. It wants me" Reinette wondered. She looked at the figure. "You want me?"

"Not yet" The smiley mask droid answered. "You are incomplete"

"Incomplete? What's that mean, incomplete?" Nova asked the droid. It remained silent, save for the ticking. "You can answer her, you can answer me and him!" Nova pointed at The Doctor and then she got up on her feet. "What do you mean, incomplete?" She pointed her sonic screwdriver at the droid. It walked around the bed. A blade came out of it's hand, merely inches away from Nova's neck.

"Mademoiselle, be careful" Reinette wished of her.

"Just a nightmare, Reinette, don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares" The droid slashed at Nova, but The Doctor managed to pull her out of the way. The two of them began backing up to the fireplace.

"Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares, don't you, monster?" The Doctor said. The droid slashed it's blade again, but it got stuck in the mantlepiece.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette wondered.

"Us!" The Doctor activated the mechanism again. He and Nova turned around, bringing the droid with them. They were back on the spaceship.

"Doctor! Nova!" Rose yelped when she saw them. Nova stepped away from the droid as the Doctor ran over to a nearby rack and grabbed a gun. He fired the contents over the droid, which made it seize up.

"Excellent" Mickey commented. "Ice gun"

The Doctor threw it and Rose caught it. "Fire extinguisher"

"What is that thing and where did it come from?" Tate wondered.

"It's from here" Nova answered.

"So why is it dressed like that?" Mickey asked.

The Doctor and Nova walked up to the droid. Nova continued on. "Field trip to France. Some kind of basic camouflage protocol. Nice needlework, shame about the face" She removed the mask from the droid's face to reveal clockwork.

"Oh, you are beautiful!" The Doctor exclaimed, putting on his glasses. He glanced towards Nova. "Though, not as beautiful as you" He looked back to the droid. "No, really, you are. You're gorgeous!" He looked at Nova again. "Again, not nearly as gorgeous as you" He looked at the droid again. "Look at that. Space age clockwork, I love it. I've got chills! Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart, and, by the way, count those, it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you" He held up his sonic screwdriver. "But that won't stop me" 

The droid beamed away. "Short range teleport. Can't have gone far. Could still be on board" Nova said. She and The Doctor walked back over the fireplace.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"Don't go looking for it" The Doctor warned.

"Where are you two going?" Tate asked.

"We'll be back in a sec" Nova said. She activated the mechanism and they went on the other side of the fireplace again.

Rose looked at the extinguisher in her arm. She hefted it like a big gun. Mickey knew what she was thinking. "He said not to look for it" He said.

"Yeah, he did" Rose answered. Mickey and Tate grabbed the other two extinguishers from the rack. Rose smiled at them. "Now you're getting it" The three of them went off to explore.


	17. The Girl In The Fireplace 4.2

The Doctor and Nova were in Reinette's bedroom again. It seemed different from when they were both last their. It wasn't a little girl's bedroom anymore. It was a big and plus split level room. Hand in hand, both Time Lords took a step further. Nova called out for Reinette. "Reinette? Just checking you're okay"

The two of them walked over to the harp. Nova played a few notes on it. Then someone cleared their throat. The Doctor and Nova turned around to see an adult woman standing behind them. "Oh, hello" The Doctor greeted. "Er, We were just looking for Reinette. This is still her room, isn't it? We've been away, not sure how long"

"Reinette!" A woman called from some other room. "We're ready to go!"

"Go to the carriage, Mother" the woman in the room with them called out in response. She kept her gaze on the two Time Lords, though it was mostly directed to Nova. "I will join you there. It is customary, I think, to have imaginary friends only during one's childhood. You two are to be congratulated on your persistence"

Nova's eyes widened in realization and she grew a smile. "Reinette!" She gasped. Reinette smiled at her. "Well. Goodness, how you've grown"

"And neither of you do not appear to have aged a single day" Reinette approached the two of them. "That is tremendously impolite of you"

"Right, yes, sorry" The Doctor muttered out. "Listen, lovely to catch up, but better be off, eh? Don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man and woman, do we?"

Even though The Doctor was talking, Reinette kept her gaze upon Nova. "Strange? How could you be strangers to me? I've known you since I was seven years old"

"Yeah, I suppose you have" Nova said. "We came the quick route"

Reinette placed a hand on Nova's cheek. "You seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate" Now it seemed Reinette was more so talking to only Nova. "But this is absurd" Reinette removed her hand. "Reason tells me you cannot be real"

"Oh, you never want to listen to reason" Nova shrugged, shaking her head.

"Mademoiselle!" A servant called out. "Your mother grows impatient"

"A moment!" Reinette called back. She looked back to Nova. "So many questions. So little time" Reinette pushed Nova up against the wall and then pressed her lips on hers in a passionate kiss. The Doctor's eyes widened in shock and yet his stomach churned in jealousy. Nova was just as shocked as The Doctor. Her hands were held out at her side and her eyes remained wide.

"Mademoiselle Poisson!" the servant called out again. Reinette ended her kiss with Nova, and she ran out of the room. Nova stood there in a daze, while The Doctor was still trying to register what happened between Reinette and his Supernova. The servant walked in the room. He stared at Nova and The Doctor.

"Poisson? Reinette Poisson?" The Doctor began. "No! No, no, no, no, no way. Reinette Poisson?" He became jittery with excitement. He ran over to the servant while Nova stayed her in spot, staring at nothing in a daze. "Later Madame Etoiles? Later still mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France? Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan, fantastic gardener!" He went back over to the fireplace.

"Who the hell are you two!?" the servant demanded.

"I'm The Doctor" He pointed at Nova. "That's the Nightingale, and she just snogged Madame de Pompadour" The Doctor laughed amusingly as he hit the mechanism again, making the fireplace turn back around. The two Time Lords were back on the spaceship. "Rose! Tate! Mickey!" He called out for his companions. "Every time. Didn't I tell them?" 

The Doctor tried asking Nova. He noticed that she was still frozen in a daze. "Supernova?" He waved his hands in front of her face. "That must've been some kiss. I wonder if you'll be like this when you and I finally..." The Doctor stopped himself. There are more important things right now than his first kiss fantasy with Nova.

He began walking around. "Every time, it's rule one. Don't wander off. I tell them, I do. Rule one. There could be anything on this ship" That included a white horse with a bridle and saddle.

* * *

Mickey was trying to be clever whilst searching the spaceship. He was acting like he was in some kind of action movie. He wound up in some corridor when a camera with an eyeball in it looked at him. "Are you looking at me?" Mickey asked the camera. The camera extended its bulkhead for a closer look, making Mickey jump a bit. Rose and Tate approached. "Look at this" Mickey nodded at the camera. "That's an eye in there. That's a real eye"

Tate grimaced in disgust. "If that's not disturbing and disgusting," He suddenly had the urge to vomit but he managed to hold it back. Tate didn't do so well with severed limbs, or any other body part not attached to the body. Even the sight of blood was enough to make him faint. "I don't know what is"

Rose could hear something similar to a heartbeat coming from a small hatch. She opened it, but not without it scorching her fingers for a moment. She gazed into the hatch. "Well, Tate, you're definitely not gonna like what's in here" She said.

The three of them could see a human heart attached to cables and wires. "What is that?" Mickey wondered. "What's that in the middle there? Looks like it's wired in"

"It's a heart, Mickey. A human heart"

Tate went very pale and he became light headed. "I think... I think I'm gonna..." He began losing his balance. 

"Tate?" Rose peered away from the heart and looked at Tate. "Are you alright? You don't look very good"

"I...I..." He murmured before passing out. He didn't fall on the floor, luckily. He fell onto Mickey who caught him.

* * *

The Doctor was still walking down corridors in search for Rose, Tate and Mickey. "Rose? Tate?" He called out. He was being followed by the horse he had found earlier. The Doctor stopped when he came to a pair of white wooden doors. He looked at the horse, who stopped with him. "Will you stop following me? I'm not your mother" He opened the doors and a bright light flooded in. "So this is where you came from, eh, horsey?"

The Doctor found himself in the Versailles gardens. He saw Reinette walking and talking with a dark skinned woman. "Oh, Catherine, you are too wicked" Reinette laughed, as did Catherine. Reinette felt like someone was watching her. She peeked behind her but The Doctor ducked behind a stone urn.

"Oh, speaking of wicked," Catherine began. "I hear Madame de Chateauroux is ill and close to death"

"Yes. I am devastated"

"Oh, indeed. I myself am frequently inconsolable. The King will therefore be requiring a new mistress. You love the King, of course?"

"He is the King, and I love him with all my heart. And I look forward to meeting him" A peacock called out, making Reinette turn in The Doctor's direction again. He hid behind the stone urn again.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" Catherine asked feeling concern for her friend.

"Not wrong, no" Reinette assured.

"Every woman in Paris knows your ambitions"

"Every woman in Paris shares them"

"You know of course that the King is to attend the Yew Tree ball?"

"As am I"

* * *

"Maybe it wasn't a real heart?" Mickey tried believing. He and Rose were dragging a passed out Tate through the corridor they were exploring. They were unaware that they were being watched.

"Course it was a real heart" Rose countered.

"Is this like normal for you two? Is this an average day?"

"Life with the Doctor and Nova, Mickey? No more average days" They all stopped at a large window.

"It's France again! We can see France"

"I think we're looking through a mirror"

King Louis entered the room. He was followed by two men. "Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?"

The Doctor walked up behind them. "The King of France" He answered, making Mickey and Rose turn around to look at him. The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed when he noticed the state Tate was in. "Why are you two dragging Tate around?"

"He passed out" Rose answered. "What you been up to?"

"Oh, this and that. Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat, picked a fight with a clockwork man" There was a neigh that interrupted The Doctor. Rose and Mickey looked at the horse. "Oh, and I met a horse"

"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey wondered.

"Mickey," Nova's voice said. She was finally knocked out of her daze and joined the others. "What's pre-Revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective. See these? They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history" Reinette walked into the room. "But not just any old history"

"Hers" The Doctor continued, pointing at Reinette. "Time windows deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. Why?"

"Who is she?" Rose asked.

"Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to her friends as Reinette. One of the most accomplished women who ever lived"

"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?"

"No, he's already got a Queen" Nova answered, shaking her head. "She's got plans of being his mistress"

"Oh, I get it. Camilla" Both Rose and Mickey chuckled.

"I think this is the night they met. The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace. Even her own title. Madame de Pompadour" The Doctor said. Louis and his servants left the room, leaving behind Reinette. She walked up to the mirror/window and checked her appearance.

"The Queen must have loved her"

"Oh, she did. They get on very well"

"The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?" Mickey asked.

"France" Nova added. "It's a different planet" She finally took notice of her passed out companion. "And what have you two done to Tate?"

"He passed out" Rose answered. "And I've got no idea on how to wake him up"

"It's alright. Wouldn't be the first time. I know how to wake him up" Nova held her hand flat out in front of her. "I'm sorry for this, Tate" She gave him a hard slap across the face. It was enough to leave a handprint. Tate's eyes shot open and he screeched in pain. He got to his feet and held his stinging cheek.

"The bloody hell is wrong with you, you maniac!" Tate shrilled, glaring at Nova. "You can't just go around---" Tate stopped when he noticed something. "Is that lipstick?"

"Well, I am a woman and women do wear lipstick" Nova excused for herself.

"Yeah, but you don't _like_ wearing lipstick" Tate contradicted her. "You say it makes your lips feel slimy" Tate looked at Reinette. "In fact, it's the same shade as---"

Reinette turned around and spoke to something in the room. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked. "Show yourself!" The person in the room turned around and revealed itself to be a clockwork droid. Nova grabbed the fire extinguisher from Mickey and rotated the mirror.

"Hello, Reinette" She greeted. "Hasn't time flown?" 

"Fireplace lady!"

Nova sprayed the extinguisher at the droid. She then threw it back over to Mickey. The android creaked. "What's it doing?" Mickey asked, pointing the extinguisher at the droid just in case.

"Switching back on" Nova explained. She stepped in front of the droid, eyeing it cautiously. "Melting the ice"

"Then what?"

"Then it kills everyone in the room" The droid reached out to grab Nova but she backed away. "Focuses the mind, doesn't it? Who are you?Identify yourself" Nova turned to Reinette. "Order it to answer me"

"Why should it listen to me?" Reinette wondered.

" I don't know. It did when you were a child. Let's see if you've still got it"

Reinette looked at the droid. "Answer her question" she demanded. "Answer any and all questions put to you!"

The droid lowered it's hand. "I am repair droid seven" It answered.

"What happened to the ship then?" The Doctor asked this time. "There was a lot of damage"

"Ion storm. Eighty two percent systems failure"

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year. What's taken you so long?"

"We did not have the parts"

Mickey chuckled. "Always comes down to that, doesn't it? The parts"

Nova asked another question. "What's happened to the crew? Where are they?"

"We did not have the parts" The droid answered.

"There should have been over fifty people on your ship. Where did they go?"

"We did not have the parts"

"Fifty people don't just disappear. Where..." The Doctor stopped when he realized what the droid meant. Nova did too and her stomach churned in disgust. "Oh. You didn't have the parts, so you used the crew"

"The crew?" Mickey repeated.

Rose caught on. "We found a camera with an eye in it, and there was a heart wired in to machinery"

"That's what made me pass out" Tate added.

"It was just doing what it was programmed to" The Doctor explained. "Repairing the ship any way it can, with whatever it could find. No one told it the crew weren't on the menu. What did you say the flight deck smelt of?"

"Someone cooking" Rose answered.

"Flesh plus heat. Barbeque" Nova said. "But what are you doing here?" She continued asking the droid. "You've opened up time windows. That takes colossal energy. Why come here? You could have gone to your repair yard. Instead you come to eighteenth century France? Why?"

"One more part is required" The droid answered. It tilted it's head. Nova looked back at Reinette. Then back to to the droid.

"Then why haven't you taken it?"

"She is incomplete"

"What, so, that's the plan, then. Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's done yet"

"Why her?" Rose asked. "You've got all of history to choose from. Why specifically her?"

"We are the same"

"We are not the same" Reinette said, looking at the droid with disgust. "We are in no sense the same"

"We are the same"

"Get out of here! Get out of here this instant!"

"Reinette, no" Nova tried stopping her. The droid teleported away.

"It's back on the ship. Rose and Tate, take Mickey and Arthur" The Doctor ordered. "Get after it. Follow it. Don't approach it, just watch what it does"

"Arthur?" Rose and Tate both asked.

"Good name for a horse"

Rose rolled her eyes. "No, you're not keeping the horse"

"I let you keep Mickey"

"If The Doctor gets a horse, I get a parrot" Nova spoke up, though it was directed mostly at Tate.

"How many times must we go over this?" Tate retorted back. "I'm not trusting you with a bird that can speak. Who knows what you'd teach it to say?"

Rose, Tate and Mickey left. The Doctor closed the mirror as Nova stayed with Reinette. "Reinette, you're going to have to trust me" Nova said to her. "We need to find out what they're looking for. There's only one way we can do that. It won't hurt a bit"

Nova placed her hands on Reinette's head. The both of them closed their eyes as Nova instigated a mind meld. "Fireplace lady, you are inside my mind"

"Oh dear, Reinette. You've had some cowboys in here"


	18. The Girl In The Fireplace 4.3

Rose, Tate, and Mickey wandered the corridor looking for the clockwork droid. They still had their fire extinguishers. "So," Mickey started with a chuckle. "That Doctor, eh?"

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked.

"Well" Mickey began listing off some names. "Madame de Pompadour. Sarah Jane Smith. Cleopatra"

"Cleopatra" Rose scoffed. "He mentioned her once!"

"Yeah, but he called her Cleo"

"Actually, I think it might be Nova and Madame de Pompadour that---" Tate stopped himself when he saw the droid. "Mickey!" The droid grabbed Mickey by the throat. Two others grabbed Rose and Tate from behind. The droids injected them with something which made them all pass out.

* * *

Nova was still linked into Reinette's mind. "You and your friend are in my memories. You both walk among them" Reinette said.

"If there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it" Nova told her. "I won't look. Oh, actually there's a door just there" Reinette opened her eyes and grinned up at Nova. "You might want to cl. Oh, actually, several"

Reinette closed her eyes again. "To walk among the memories of another living soul. Do you ever get used to this?"

"Well, this is actually the first time I'm doing this"

"How can you resist?"

"How old are you?"

"So impertinent a question so early in the conversation. How promising." Reinette's tone was becoming flirty.

"No, not my question, theirs" Nova clarified. "You're twenty three and for some reason, that means you're not old enough. Sorry, you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect"

"Oh, such a lonely childhood" Reinette lamented. "Wait. You weren't completely alone. You had a---"

"Not important, Reinette. Stay with me"

"Oh, Nightingale. So lonely. You're important, but so very, very alone"

Nova furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean, alone? You've never been alone in your life" Nova opened her eyes. "When did you start calling me Nightingale?"

"Such a lonely little girl. With the exception of another young girl who kept you company. She was the only friend who had. Then something happened between the both of you and you never saw her again" Reinette recounted. "Lonely then and lonelier now. You're also afraid to love" Reinette's face twisted into sadness. "There's only two people you've ever loved in your past, both in different ways. They left you. You love someone now but you're afraid to let him in. You don't want him to leave you like the others did" Reinette opened her eyes. "How can you bear it?"

Reinette had seen too much for Nova's liking. She broke the link between them. "How did you do that?" Nova stepped away from Reinette and closer to The Doctor.

"A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction" Reinette answered. "Oh, Nightingale. My lonely Nightingale" Reinette moved closer to Nova, and placed a hand on her arm. "Dance with me"

"I can't"

"Dance with me"

"This is the night you dance with the King"

"Then first, I shall make him jealous"

"I can't"

"Your Doctor may join us" Reinette looked towards him. Then she looked back at Nova who still had uncertainty on her face. "Nightingale, you were promised a dance once, but you never got the chance to dance"

"What did you see?" Nova inquired.

"That there comes a time, Time Lady, when promised a dance, that promise should be fulfilled. Even if it's not fulfilled by the one that promised it" Reinette took Nova's hand and led her out of the room. The Doctor followed out after them. "But first, Nightingale, we shall find a dress for you to wear"

* * *

Reinette had found Nova a beautiful blue gown to wear. Reinette had mentioned something about it matching her sparkling blue eyes. Nova's hair had also been done up. The dress felt rather heavy on Nova, and she wondered how women from this period of time even managed to move around. "Reinette, I feel ridiculous in this dress. Must I wear it?"

Reinette smiled at her. "You look beautiful, Nightingale. And I'm sure when your Doctor sees you, he'll think so as well" The two women made it to the ballroom. Reinette made sure that they were in a spot where the King could see them dancing together. The two women began swaying to the music. "I must apologize to you for my earlier actions"

"You mean invading my thoughts?" Nova addressed. "Look, Reinette, that wasn't your fault"

"I meant about the kiss we shared" Reinette corrected. "If I had known you felt so deeply about your Doctor, I wouldn't have initiated the kiss in the first place"

"Oh" Nova murmured. Her eyes travelled downwards, away from Reinette's gaze. "I really wish you hadn't seen those thoughts"

Reinette remained silent for a moment. "I have many questions for you, Nightingale," She admitted. "But I feel I would be crossing the line by asking"

"You've already seen those thoughts. Ask away"

"Through one of your doors, I saw a woman" Reinette began. "She was very beautiful. Brown eyed and brown haired. She went by the name of Peggy Carter. She was you, wasn't she? One of the many lives you've lived"

"Yes" Nova said, reminiscing about the life she lived as Peggy. It was one of the few incarnations of her she let live out a full life. As Peggy Carter, Nova became one of the most prominent agents of the Strategic Scientific Reserve during and after World War II. She also was one of the founders for S.H.I.E.L.D and became eventual director.

"You fell in love with someone, but just as soon as you fell in love with him, you lost him as well" Reinette continued. "Eventually, you decided to get married. You even had a son and a daughter. You loved your children, but you were just so unhappy with your marriage. Your husband wasn't the Captain that you fell in love with. And there was also someone else. I saw her with you during your childhood, but a lot of your memories of her are scattered. It's like you don't want to remember her. Who was she?"

"Reinette, that other woman you saw was not important" Nova snapped. Reinette jumped at the sudden shift in Nova's tone. "There are reasons I want to forget about her. Reasons that you wouldn't understand"

"My apologies, Nightingale" Reinette spoke softly. "I will drop the subject" Reinette turned her head and saw a familiar figure approaching. "I will excuse you now. It seems as though your Doctor wishes to dance with you"

The Doctor approached. "May I cut in, Reinette?" He asked her kindly.

Reinette smiled and nodded at him. "Of course you may, Doctor" Reinette bowed to the two of them before she walked away. 

The Doctor held Nova's hand and placed a hand on her waist. The two of them began to dance. "You look very beautiful, by the way" The Doctor complimented, causing Nova to smile. "I think I'd like to see you in a dress more often"

"Well, I prefer the clothes I usually wear," Nova chimed. Her smile changed into a flirty smirk. "But for you, I might consider it" She let out an amused giggle when The Doctor twirled her around and dipped her. Her laughter was like music to his ears.

* * *

While The Doctor and Nova were having fun at the ball, Rose, Mickey, and Tate were in a not so fun situation. When they woke up, they found that they were strapped to slanted tables right across from the Tardis. The droids were with them.

"What's going on?" Rose wondered in a panic. She tried calling out for help. "Doctor? Nightingale?"

"Rose? Tate?" Mickey squeaked in fear. "They're going to chop us up, just like the crew. They're going to chop us up and stick us all over their stupid spaceship" Mickey became panicked with anger. "And where's the Doctor? Where's the precious Doctor now? Where's the Nightingale? They've been gone for flipping hours, that's where they are!"

One of the droids stepped up to Rose. "You are compatible"

"Oi, tick tock man!" Tate growled protectively. "You are not laying a single hand on her!"

"Tate's right" Rose nodded. "You might want to think about that. You really, really, might, because me, Tate, and Mickey, we didn't come here alone. Oh no. And trust me, you wouldn't want to mess with our designated drivers" The droid extended his blade. It was inches away from Rose's face. Her breaths quickened as she panicked. However, she continued to taunt the droid. "Ever heard of the Daleks? Remember them? They had a name for our friend. They had myths about him, and a name. They called him the--" Rose was interrupted by a loud crash. There were also two people drunkenly singing.

"We could've danced all night!" The Doctor sang. In one hand, he was holding a drink. In the other, he held Nova's hand. Nova was still dressed in her gown. The Doctor was wearing a pair of sunglasses and had his tie wrapped around his head. The both of them were clearly drunk. "We could've danced all night"

"And still have begged for more. I could've spread my wings and done a thou" Nova sang with a slur. "Have you met the French? My god, they know how to party"

Tate and Mickey gave each other confused glances. Rose didn't look too happy to see them. "Oh, look at what the cat dragged in" she fumed. "The Oncoming Storm"

"Oh, you sound just like your mother" The Doctor snickered.

"What've you two been doing? Where've you been?" Rose eyed Nova up and down. "And Nova, why are you wearing that?"

Nova glanced down at her dress and smoothed it out. "You know, at first I hated this thing, but I've come to love it" She smiled as she started giggling. She grabbed The Doctor's arm and leaned against him. "The Doctor thinks I look beautiful"

The Doctor smiled as well. "You absolutely do!" He cooed, nuzzling into her neck.

"Can you two stop flirting for a moment!" Tate commanded. "And answer Rose's question!"

"Well, among other things," The Doctor began. "I think I just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early. Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before" Rose rolled her eyes as The Doctor approached her. "Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good" The Doctor noticed the clockwork droids. "Oh ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant. It's you. You're my favourite, you are" He approached the droid that was pointing it's blade at Rose. "You are the best! Do you know why? Because you're so thick. You're Mister Thick Thick Thickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania. And so's your dad"

"Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for?" Nova asked. "Her milometer. They want to know how old she is. Know why? Because this ship is thirty seven years old, and they think that when Reinette is thirty seven, when she's complete, then her brain will be compatible" Nova began walking around. "So, that's what you're missing, isn't it, hmm?" She yelled in the face of one of the droids. "Command circuit. Your computer. Your ship needs a brain. And for some reason, God knows what, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do" Nova came to stop beside Mickey.

"The brain is compatible" the droid pointing it's blade at Rose said again.

"Compatible?" The Doctor repeated. "If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine" He removed the droid's mask and poured the contents of the cup on the droid's head. The droid seized up. The two Time Lords dropped their drunken act. "Multigrain anti-oil. If it moves, it doesn't"

The other droids started moving towards them. Nova pressed a switch on the console which turned all the droids off. "Right, you three, that's enough lying about" Nova announced. She freed Tate and Mickey while The Doctor freed Rose. "Time we got the rest of the ship turned off"

"Are those things safe?" Mickey asked, referring to the droids.

"Yeah. Safe. Safe and thick, way I like them" The Doctor said. "Okay. All the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down" He reached into his pockets. He couldn't feel what he was looking for. "Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs? I had them a minute ago. I was using them as castanets" He began searching around for them.

"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty seven?" Rose wondered.

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they did well to hit the right century" Nova mentioned. "Trial and error after that"

The Doctor tried closing the windows but they wouldn't. "The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?" There was a bell. 

"What was that?" Tate asked.

"I don't know. Incoming message?"

"From who?" Mickey added.

"Report from the field. One of them must still be out there with Reinette. That's why I can't close the windows. There's an override" The droid on which The Doctor poured the oil on reactivated. It expelled the oil through it's finger and onto the floor. "Well, that was a bit clever" All the droids started moving again. 

"Right. Many things about this are not good" Nova stated. Another bell dinged. "Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?"

"She is complete. It begins" One of the droids said. All of them teleported away.

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

"One of them must have found the right time window. Now it's time to send in the troops. And this time they're bringing back her head" The Doctor said.

* * *

Reinette was standing in the music room, staring out the window. She heard footsteps and saw a young man standing in the doorway. It was Tate. Nova had sent him to give Reinette a message.

"Madame de Pompadour. Please, don't scream or anything. We haven't got a lot of time" Tate said. Reinette nodded and invited him in. Tate took a seat as Reinette remained on her feet. "I've come to warn you that they'll be here in five years" 

"Five years?" Reinette fretted.

"Some time after your thirty seventh birthday. I er, I can't give you an exact date. It's a bit random. But they're coming. It's going to happen. In a way, for us, it's already happening. I'm sorry, it's hard to explain. The Nightingale does this better"

"Then be exact, and I will be attentive"

"There isn't time"

"There are five years"

"For you. I haven't got five minutes"

"Then also be concise" Reinette finally took a seat across from Tate.

"Er," Tate murmured, not really sure where to start. "There's, say, a vessel, a ship, a sort of sky ship, and it's full of, well, you. Different bits of your life in different rooms, all jumbled up" Reinette gazed off, trying to take in what she heard. "I told you it was complicated. Sorry"

"There is a vessel in your world where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book, so that she may step from one to the other without increase of age while I, weary traveller, must always take the slower path"

"She was right about you"

"So, in five years these creatures will return. What can be done?"

"The Nightingale says keep them talking. They're kind of programmed to respond to you now. You won't be able to stop them, but you might be able to delay them a bit"

"Until?"

"Until the Nightingale can get there"

"She's coming then?" Reinette's eyes gleamed with hope.

Tate nodded. "She promises"

"But she cannot make her promises in person?" Reinette hung her head in disappointment.

Tate gave Reinette a small comforting smile. "She'll be there when you need her. That's the way it's got to be"

"It's the way it's always been. The monsters and the Nightingale. It seems you cannot have one without the other"

"Tell me about it. The thing is, you weren't supposed to have either. Those creatures are messing with history. None of this was ever supposed to happen to you"

"Supposed to happen?" Reinette shook her head in disbelief. "What does that mean? It happened, child, and I would not have it any other way. One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel" Reinette stood up again.

"Tate?" Rose's voice called for her friend. Tate and Reinette both looked towards the doorway. "Tate?" Reinette and Tate both went out into the corridor. Rose and Mickey both appeared from behind a tapestry. Tate ran up to both of them, with Reinette trailing behind him. "Tate, there you are" Rose said. 

"The time window where she's thirty seven" Mickey mentioned. "We found it. Right under our noses"

Reinette looked at the tapestry. She proceeded to walk under it, despite Tate's protests not to. "No, you can't go in there, the Nightingale and the Doctor will go mad--"

Reinette gasped as she looked around the corridor. She took a few steps. "So, this is her world" A scream was heard in the distance. "What was that?"

"The time window" Mickey answered, to which Rose confirmed with a nod. "The Doctor and Nova fixed an audio link"

"Those screams" Reinette looked horrified. "Is that my future?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry" Rose apologized.

"Then I must take the slower path" Reinette swallowed with pride. She heard her own voice screaming out. _Are you there? Can you hear me? I need you now. You promised. The clock on the mantle is broken. It is time._ "That's my voice"

"Tate, come on" Mickey urged. "We've got to go. There's, there's a problem"

"Give me a moment" Tate pleaded. Mickey and Rose both left, leaving Tate with Reinette. He moved closer to her. He saw how scared she looked. "Are you okay?"

"No" Reinette denied, shaking her head. "I'm very afraid. But you and I both know, don't we, Tate, the Nightingale is worth the monsters" Reinette stopped in front of the tapestry. She looked at Tate again. "I can see it in your eyes, you're scared of her leaving you one day. But she fears you leaving her. You're her best friend, Tate. She's lucky to have you" Reinette finally went back through the tapestry. 


	19. The Girl In The Fireplace 4.4

Tate joined the others at the time window. It showed the ballroom where all the guests were being terrorized by the clockwork droids. "You found it then?" Tate asked once he arrived. Rose went over to stand by Tate, while Mickey stayed near the window.

"They knew I was coming" Nova admitted. She was now dressed in her regular clothes again. "They blocked it off"

"I don't get it" Tate shook his head. "How come they got in there?"

"They teleported" The Doctor answered. "You saw them" He began pressing buttons and flipping switches on the console, in an attempt to fix the time window. "As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short range teleports will do the trick"

"Well, we'll go in the Tardis!" Rose suggested.

"We can't use the Tardis. We're part of events now"

"Well, can't we just smash through?" Mickey concurred.

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other" Nova divulged as she motioned towards the window. The Doctor was still running around. "We need a truck"

"We don't have a truck!"

"I know we don't have a truck!" The Doctor screamed out in frustration.

"Well, we've got to try something" Rose stressed.

"Well," Tate began as the lightbulb went off in his head. "We don't have a truck but we do have something else with horsepower"

"Oh, Tate, you're a genius!" Nova praised her best friend. She bopped him on the nose. "Rose, Mickey" She turned to face her other two friends. "Where have you put Arthur?"

"No!" The Doctor protested when he realized what Nova was intending to do. He stepped in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Smash the glass, smash the time window. There'd be no way for you to get back" He cautioned her.

"I realize that, Doctor" Nova whispered. She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. "But Reinette needs me right now. I made a promise to her. I never break a promise" She closed her eyes and touched her forehead to his. The Doctor closed his eyes as well and wrapped his arms securely around Nova. "If I'm not back in five hours--"

"Please," he begged, holding her closer to him. "Don't say that"

"If I'm not back in five hours," Nova continued. "Take the Tardis and go. Look after Tate for me. Please, promise me that, Doctor"

"I can't" The Doctor croaked, shaking his head. "I can't because you _will_ come back" He paused and took her face in his hands. "You're gonna come back to me because I can't lose you. Not when I just found you"

"Promise me" 

"I promise"

* * *

"Such a commotion" Reinette boomed her voice loud enough for the commotion in the ballroom to stop. "Such distressing noise" Everyone's attention was on Reinette. "Kindly remember that this is Versailles. This is the Royal Court, and we are French" Reinette turned around to look at the droid that was a few steps away from her. "I have made a decision. And my decision is no, I shall not be going with you today. I have seen your world, and I have no desire to set foot there again"

"We do not require your foot" The droid spoke in a literal sense.

Two female dressed droids grabbed Reinette and pushed her down to her knees. The droids pointed their blades at her. The droid Reinette was talking to approached her and pointed its blade also. However, Reinette was not going to give up that easily. "You think I fear you, but I do not fear you even now. You are merely the nightmare of my childhood. The monster from under my bed. And if my nightmare can return to plague me, then rest assured, so will yours"

A horse whinnied off in the distance and the sound of galloping hooves echoed in the ballroom. The mirror over the mantlepiece was smashed through. It was Nova riding on Arthur. Nova caught Reinette's eye and gave her a wink. Reinette let out a breath of relief. Nova came to the middle of the ballroom and got off of Arthur. "Madame de Pompadour" Nova greeted happily. "You look younger every day" Reinette smiled at her.

"What the hell is going on?" Louis demanded.

"Oh" Reinette uttered. She pointed at Louis and introduced him to Nova. "This is my lover, the King of France"

"Yeah? Well, I'm the Lady of Time," Nova expressed pridefully. She walked over to the droids keeping Reinette hostage. "And I'm here to fix the clock" She took the mast of the main droid. Everyone gasped dramatically at the exposed clockwork. It pointed its blade at Nova's throat. "Forget it. It's over. For you and for me" She glanced over at where the broken mirror was. There was a brick wall in its place. "Talk about seven years bad luck. Try three thousand" The droid looked over at the brick wall and then to Nova. "The link with the ship is broken. No way back. You don't have the parts. How many ticks left in that clockwork heart, huh? A day? An hour? It's over. Accept that. I'm not winding you up" All the droids winded down. One of them fell backwards and fell apart. "You all right?" Nova asked Reinette as she helped her to her feet.

Reinette nodded and looked around at all the droids. "What's happened to them?"

"They've stopped. They have no purpose now"

* * *

The Doctor, Rose, Tate and Mickey looked at the broken window that Nova smashed through. "What happened?" Mickey quavered. "Where did the time window go? How's she going to get back?"

A tear fell from Tate's eye. "She promised me..." He grieved. "She promised she would never leave me" Rose, who had also started tearing at the loss of her friend, pulled Tate into a hug. Mickey placed a hand upon his shoulder. 

"I'm gonna miss her" Rose mourned. "She's the closest girl friend I have. She's like a sister to me" She looked to The Doctor. He was staring at the broken window with no emotion. She could tell his two hearts were broken, but he was keeping it in for their sake. "Doctor, what do we do? Can she get back through another way?"

"She wanted us to wait" The Doctor said. He turned around to look at the others. "She wants us to wait at least five hours"

"And if she's not back in five hours?" Mickey wondered.

It was hard for The Doctor to admit the outcome. "Then we leave without her"

* * *

Nova was looking out a window up at the night sky. She had a glass in her hand and took occasional sips from it. Reinette had found her and joined her. "You know all their names, don't you?" Reinette mused. "I saw that in your mind. The name of every star"

"What's in a name?" Nova pondered sadly. "Names are just titles. Titles don't tell you anything"

"Like The Nightingale"

"Like Madame de Pompadour"

"I have often wished to see those stars a little closer. Just as you have, I think"

"From time to time"

"In saving me, you trapped yourself. Did you know that would happen?"

"Mmm. Pretty much"

"Yet, still you came"

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Nova gave Reinette a sad smile. "Catch me doing that again"

"There were many doors between my world and yours" Reinette remembered. "Can you not use one of the others?"

"When the mirror broke, the shock would have severed all the links with the ship. There'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here, I'm afraid, wherever there was a time window. I'll, I'll pay for any damage" Nova offered, causing Reinette to grin at her. "Er, that's a thought, I'm going to need money. I was always a bit vague about money. Where do you get money?"

"So, here you are, my lonely angel, stuck on the slow path with me"

"Yep, the slow path" Nova smiled. She held up her glass. "Here's to the slow path" Reinette laughed with her and they shared a toast. Nova took a drink as Reinette stared down at her cup.

"It's a pity. I think I would've enjoyed the slow path"

"Well, I'm not going anywhere"

"Oh, aren't you?" Reinette put her cup down. She held out her hand. "Take my hand" Nova looked down at Reinette's hand, before wrapping it in her own.

* * *

Reinette led Nova to a bed chamber. "It's not a copy, it's the original. I had it moved here and was exact in every detail" Reinette explained as they entered the room.

Nova looked at the fireplace. "The fireplace" She chimed as she stepped closer to it. "The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?"

"Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened, may someday open again" Reinette expressed as she joined Nova by the fireplace. "One never quite knows when one needs one's Nightingale. It appears undamaged. Do you think it will still work?"

"You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it, which means it was offline when the mirror broke. That's what saved it. But the link is basically physical, and it's still physically here. Which might just mean, if I'm lucky" Nova began tapping on the fireplace. "If I'm very, very, very, very, very, very lucky" She tapped a certain spot a couple of times and let out a victorious laugh. "Ah ha!"

"What?" 

"Loose connection" Nova scanned it with her sonic screwdriver. "Need to get a man in" She gave it hard thump. There was a clunk. Her hand found the mechanism. "Wish me luck!"

"No" Reinette mewled in protest. But there was no stopping Nova from switching the mechanism to turn the fireplace around. 

Nova found herself back in the spaceship. She crouched down and looked through the fireplace. "Madame de Pompadour!" On the other side, Reinette crouch down to look at Nova. "Still want to see those stars?"

"More than anything" 

"Give me two minutes. Pack a bag. I'll be back with The Doctor"

"Am I going somewhere?"

"Go to the window. Pick a star, any star" Nova stood up again and went to go see her friends. 

* * *

Rose was the first one to notice Nova when she came returned to the main room. "Sister!" She hollered in excitement as she ran to hug her. Nova smiled as she returned the hug.

"How long did you wait?" Nova inquired.

"Five and half hours" Rose let go of Nova. "Just like you told us to wait"

"See? You always wait five hours!" Nova turned to look at Mickey. He held out his hand for a handshake, but instead Nova hugged him. "Oh, Mickey Smith! I'm happy to see you again!"

"That makes two of us" Mickey responded. "I honestly don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come back. I can't always handle being around The Doctor, but I can handle being around you"

Nova let go of Mickey, and finally looked at Tate. He had a relieved smile on his face. "I did promise I wouldn't ever leave you, didn't I, pretty boy?"

Tate laughed and pulled Nova into a hug. "There was a part of me that thought you weren't coming back, but I knew that you would" He let her go. "Especially not after keeping that promise. You never break your promises"

Nova looked around and noticed a face missing. "Where's The Doctor?"

Just as Nova asked that, The Doctor stepped out of the Tardis. He and Nova made eye contact. "Supernova?" He breathed. Nova gave him a big smile and she ran to him. He picked her up and then spun her around. He held her in a longing embrace. "You came back to me" He whispered in her ear.

"I'll always come back for you" she promised. She suddenly remembered and ended the hug. "Doctor, come with me. I made another promise to Reinette" Nova took The Doctor's hand and the two of them began making their way to the fireplace.

"Where are you two going?" Rose called after them.

"Give us a moment! Wait in the Tardis!"

* * *

The two Time Lords made it to the fireplace. Nova peeked through but she couldn't see Reinette. "Reinette?" She called out. "Reinette?" There was no answer. Nova flipped the mechanism and the fireplace took both of them to the bedchamber. 

"What did you promise this time?" The Doctor asked as they began walking through the palace. 

"I told her to pick a star to visit" Nova answered and then went back to calling for Reinette. "Reinette?" Nova and The Doctor ran into Louis. "Oh, hello"

"You just missed her" Louis informed them as he stared out the window. He looked towards them. "She'll be in Paris by six"

"Ah" Nova muttered.

Louis eyed Nova curiously and approached her. "Good Lord. She was right. She said you never looked a day older. So many years since I saw you last, but not a day of it on your face" He reached into a drawer and pulled out two sealed letters. "She spoke of you many times. Often wished you'd visit again" Louis looked at The Doctor. "She waited for you too. You know how women are" He presented one letter to Nova, and the other to The Doctor. The two of them took their letters.

A horse whinnied and Louis went back over to the window. "There she goes" He watched as the hearse went down the driveway in the pouring rain. "Leaving Versailles for the last time. Only forty three when she died" The Doctor and Nova joined Louis near the window. "Too young. Too young. Illness took her in the end" Nova didn't even notice that a tear had left her eye until The Doctor reached over to wipe it away. "She always did work too hard" Louis turned towards the two Time Lords. "What does she say?" He referred to the letters. The Doctor put the letter away in his jacket, while Nova put hers in her bag. "Of course. Quite right"

* * *

The two of them went back to the Tardis. Rose, Tate and Mickey were patiently waiting for them. "Why her?" Rose asked them once they were onboard. "Why did they think they could repair the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?"

"We'll probably never know" The Doctor acknowledged. "There was massive damage in the computer memory banks. It probably got confused. The Tardis can close down the time windows now the droids are gone. Should stop it causing any more trouble"

Rose looked towards Nova. She noticed that her cheeks were damp from her tears. "Nova, are you all right?"

Nova looked at Rose and gave her a forced smile. "I'm always alright"

"Nova," Tate stepped forward, his voice cooing in a comforting manner. "If you need to talk about anything..." He placed a hand on her arm. "I'm here for you"

"Me too" Rose spoke up, giving Nova an assuring smile and a gentle pat on the back. Nova nodded at them and tried her best to hold in her tears. She didn't want to cry in front of them.

Mickey realized the state Nova was in and thought it best to leave her alone with The Doctor. "Come on, Rose, Tate. It's time you showed me around the rest of this place" Mickey had already seen the rest of the Tardis. He just needed an excuse to get them all to leave. The three of them left.

Nova couldn't hold it in anymore. She began crying. The Doctor began rubbing her back. Nova's tears splashed against the surface of the console. "I broke my promise" she wept. "I was going to take her to her favorite star. But instead, she died...waiting...for me"

"That wasn't your fault, Supernova" The Doctor assured her. 

"I know, but..." Nova stopped herself. She reached into her bag and pulled out the sealed letter. All she did was stare at her. "I don't know if I can read it"

"You should" The Doctor gave her a kiss on the forehead. "It'll give you closure if nothing else" 

"I suppose you're right" Her tears finally stopped. She took in a deep breath, calming herself down. "Give me some privacy?" The Doctor nodded. He went off to some other part of the Tardis, leaving Nova by herself. She broke the letter's seal and began to read it.

_My dear Nightingale. The path has never seemed more slow, and yet I fear I am nearing its end. Reason tells me that you and I are unlikely to meet again, but I think I shall not listen to reason. I have seen the world inside your head, and know that all things are possible. Hurry though, my love. My days grow shorter now, and I am so very weak. God speed, my lonely angel._

* * *

The Doctor was worried about Nova. He had never seen her so upset before. Had she developed some sort of romantic feelings for Reinette? Or was it something else? The Doctor suddenly remembered the letter that Reinette had written for him. He reached into his jacket and pulled it out. He broke the seal and read it.

_My dear Doctor. If I shall never see my dear Nightingale again, promise me that you'll look over her. I've seen the thoughts inside her head. I've never met a lonelier woman. There are things from her past she wants you to know. But let her share her secrets with you when she is comfortable. I will say this on her behalf. She's loved once before, but she lost just as fast. I hope that you are the one that remains for the rest of her life. She needs you, Doctor._


	20. An Uninvited Party Guest 1

"What should I wear for the party?" Rose asked Nova. The two of them were in Rose's room in the Tardis. Rose was going through her wardrobe. "Is it like one of those fancy dinner parties?"

"I don't think I can recall a time when Tony held a fancy dinner party" Nova laughed, shaking her head. She stood by Rose at the wardrobe and started digging through it herself. "Just dress as if you're going to a club or something" A dress caught Nova's eye and she pulled it out. "How about this?"

Rose's eyes lit up. "Oh, that's gorgeous" It was a short halter dress. The top part of the dress was sparkly with blue sequins, while the skirt was also blue and silky. "Do you think Tate will like it?"

"Once he sees you in that, he won't be able to take his eyes off of you"

Rose smiled and bit her bottom lip. "Thanks, sister" She had taken to calling Nova that more often. The Time Lady didn't mind. She considered Rose as a sister as well. "We should find you something as well"

"Oh, Rose. I'm fine wearing my usual outfit" Nova looked down. She ran her hands over the denim material of her skirt.

"Oh, come on, Nova" Rose urged, reaching over to grab her hand. "I can even help you find something from your favourite decade!"

Nova pursed her lips, thinking through Rose's request. She finally agreed with a smile. "Alright. I'm sure The Doctor's Tardis has something for me"

* * *

"One day, just you and me, we should take a trip to a roller rink. Have you ever been to one?" Nova asked.

Rose shook her head. "I haven't, but it sounds like loads of fun"

"Believe me, it is" Nova vouched with a smile. "And we go to one during the seventies. That's when they were at their best" Nova looked down at her dress. "Rose, I don't know how I feel about this dress"

"Would you stop about the dress? It looks amazing in you" Rose complimented. She had picked out a blue dress with a plunging neckline. The shoulders were ruffled and the sleeves were long and see through. Rose smirked and leaned in to whisper in Nova's ear. "The Doctor won't be able to keep his eyes off of you all night"

Nova smiled at the thought. She then looked down at the shoes she was wearing. Rose insisted on wearing matching heels. "Are the shoes necessary though?"

"Hey," Rose held her hands up in defence. "As much as I love the boots you normally wear, they just wouldn't go with the dress"

"What if I have to run?"

"Then you can just run barefoot" Rose suggested with the roll of her eyes. "Honestly, what's going to happen at an Avengers party that will make you have to run?"

The two girls went into the console room. Mickey and Tate were both talking. "I can't believe I'm gonna meet actual superheroes!" Mickey exclaimed. He clapped his hands together and grinned excitedly. "It's funny, because I read comic books and whatnot, but now I'm gonna meet actual superheroes"

"Fun fact!" Nova announced. She stepped up beside Mickey. She crossed her arms and leaned against the console. "Comic books are actually documentations of superheroes"

"No way!" Mickey shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously?" Nova nodded her head. "If comic books are documentations, then how come back in our time, we don't know of any superheroes"

"Well, it all depends on time, location and threat. I mean, you look at Captain America," Nova stopped. Her expression changed at the mention of his name. She was gonna see him tonight....

"Nova?" Tate said. "You all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine" Nova said, before continuing. "Anyways, as I was saying, it was World War II, the world was a scary place. Those who were on the good side, needed some kind of hero. Then here comes Captain America. A solider who was injected with super serum, and wields a Vibranium shield

"Before Captain America, super powered people were seen as scary and dangerous. They were forced to go into hiding. After Captain America, more and more heroes started emerging. There's still some people who think the world could do without superheroes"

"Those are the same people who think that you and The Doctor shouldn't exist" Rose mentioned. "Because if you think about it, the both of you are kind of like superheroes. You've saved the world on numerous occasions, and regeneration is kind of like your superpower"

"Rose has a point you know" Tate agreed with her.

"Who's ready for a party!" The Doctor sang excitedly as she joined the others. When he saw Nova, he went wide eyed and his jaw hung open. "Supernova" He said breathlessly. "Y-You look...."

"Better close your mouth there, Doctor" Rose teased with a smirk. "Don't wanna catch flies"

The Doctor blushed and he closed his mouth. He still kept a stare on Nova. "So, Supernova," He walked over to her, joining her at the console. "The Avengers tower, right? In New York?"

"Yep" She nodded. "And make sure we're there on the right date. Don't want to be too early for the party" Nova joked which caused The Doctor to laugh.

Meanwhile, Rose, Tate and Mickey all stood off to the side. Rose turned to face the two boys. "I'm gonna need your guys' help"

"Help with what exactly?" Mickey wondered.

"To get those two" Rose motioned towards Nova and The Doctor. "To admit their feelings and get them to be together. Y'know, officially"

"Ah!" Mickey smirked. "I get it. What better place to play matchmaker than at a party. I'm in"

"Me too" Tate nodded in agreement. He suddenly remembered something. "If we're going to do this though, we need to keep Nova away from Steve Rogers aka Captain America"

Mickey quirked an eyebrow. "What's the deal with this Steve then?"

"Well, every time Steve is around Nova, he does everything possible in an attempt to woo her" Tate explained.

"Well, that definitely puts a damper on plans" Rose muttered in annoyance. "Okay, so let's assign roles. I'll stick with Nova for the night, making sure she doesn't get too close to Steve"

"I guess I can hang around Steve" Mickey volunteered. "Make sure he doesn't get any ideas"

"Alright" Rose nodded in agreement. "But be discreet about it"

"I'll try bringing up Nova as much as I can around The Doctor. Maybe it'll give him that push to make the move" Tate said, motioning quotation marks around his last two words.

"Alright," Rose nodded with a proud smile. "Let's also hope that nothing bad happens at this party. I really just want a night of dancing, and not running"

"Oh, don't worry Rose" Tate shrugged, waving his hand. "It's a party full of Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D agents. No one would dare try anything"

* * *

The Tardis whirred as it materialised in its destination. "Here we are!" The Doctor hollered in excitement. "This was a good idea, Supernova. A party is exactly the kind of thing we need" The Doctor decided to ditch his long coat for the night so he left he hanging on the rail. "I'm real excited to meet all your friends"

The two Time Lords led the way out of the Tardis. The three companions followed behind. "Remember," Rose whispered to Tate and Mickey. "Operation matchmaker. They need to end up together by the end of the night"

Nova whipped her head around to look at them. "Everything alright you three" She raised an eyebrow. "You're all whisper-whisper"

"Uh, yeah" Mickey said with a nod. "Just real excited"

"Yep" Rose agreed with a nod and big smile. "We're all real excited"

"Me too!" The Doctor chimed in with a grin. "Or did I say that already?" When they exited the Tardis, they noticed that rather parking in the garage, they parked right in the middle of the party. The six Avengers, who were all sitting on the set of couches and holding drinks, were staring at the group of five who exited the Tardis.

Nova looked around. "Uh, Doctor, I think you parked in the wrong spot"

"Oh, right" The Doctor also looked around and noticed that a lot of stares were on them. "At least we're at the right party"

"Check this place out" Rose voiced approval. She grabbed Tate's arm and pulled him to her side. "I wouldn't mind living in a place like this"

"This place is killer!" Mickey exclaimed. "How many floors has it got?"

Nova opened her mouth to answer but it wasn't her voice that spoke. "Ninety three floors" A man with dark hair and a drink in his hand approached. "By the way, don't worry about the blue box" He motioned towards the Tardis. "Really brings the room together"

"Everyone, this is Tony Stark" Nova introduced. Tony smiled and waved at everyone. "Tony, this is," She pointed out her friends as she introduced them to Tony. "Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith"

Rose smiled and held out her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Stark"

Tony grabbed her hand, but rather than shake it, he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "I could the say the same about you, Rose" Tony winked at her, causing her to blush. "And please, call me Tony"

"Er, Mr. Stark," Mickey muttered out. He cleared his throat, now becoming more confident with his words. "Tony. Very nice to meet you" He also held out his hand.

Tony grabbed Mickey's hand and shook it. "You too, Mickey" Tony looked towards Tate. He pulled him into one of those guy huts where they pat each other on the back. "How's it going, Tate?"

"Everything couldn't be better" Tate answered honestly with a smile.

"That's good to hear! You know Tate, Wanda is here if you wanna—"

Tate cleared his throat and began shaking his head. Rose raised an eyebrow and glanced towards Tate. "Who's Wanda?" She felt that flame of jealousy in her stomach again.

"She's just one of the many friends Nova and I have" Tate maintained. Actually, Wanda had a bit of a crush on Tate, but he didn't need Rose to know that.

Nova continued on with her introductions, finally introducing, "And last but definitely not least, this is The Doctor"

The Doctor and Tony shook hands. "A pleasure, Tony Stark" The Doctor greeted with a smile. "Supernova talks about you all the time"

"All good things I hope" Tony jokingly said.

Nova shrugged and teased Tony. "Nah. I just told him about all your annoying qualities"

Tony gasped dramatically and put his hand on his chest. "I'm hurt, Nightingale" He agonized dramatically and jokingly. "I'm absolutely hurt" There was a moment of silence before Tony and Nova both laughed. "Anyways, I hope you all have fun. It's an open bar. I'm serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks"

"Peter's here?" Nova wondered.

"Well, the kid's an Avenger and it is an Avengers party. Don't worry, he's here with supervision. May is with him. Anyways, please go and mingle. Go introduce yourselves. Make friends. Get plastered!" Tony said that last part a little louder than everything else. He took a sip from his drink. Then, he leaned to whisper to Nova. "Fury is looking for you, by the way"

"I thought Nick Fury never came to one of your parties"

Tony shrugged. "Apparently he does when you're gonna be there" He then walked away, leaving the Tardis team to themselves.

"Who's Nick Fury?" The Doctor wondered.

"Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Big scary looking guy" She motioned to her left eye. "With an eyepatch" He was also Nova's predecessor but the others didn't need to know that. At least not yet.

"I'm gonna go to that open bar" Mickey announced. "See what they got for drinks" He began walking away when The Doctor called out at him.

"Don't get too drunk please!"

Nova laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Doctor, it's a party. If Mickey wants to get drunk, let him get drunk"

Rose and Tate joined hands. "Tate and I are gonna go mingle. He said he's gonna introduce me to someone named Natasha"

Tate nodded. "I think you two will get along just great"

The two of them walked off, leaving The Doctor and Nova lone. There was an awkward silence between them before Nova broke it. "Well, I'm gonna go see what Fury wants with me"

"Should I come with you?" The Doctor inquired.

"No, I'll be fine. You just go ahead and have some fun. Or if you want to match minds with someone, I recommend talking to Bruce Banner" Nova pointed him out to The Doctor. "I think you two would get along quite nicely"

Nova was about to walk off when The Doctor gently grabbed her by the arm. "Meet me out on the balcony later?" He asked her. "There's something I need to talk to you about"

Nova smiled and nodded at him. "I'll be there, Doctor"

* * *

Nova took a seat at the bar. "One banana daiquiri please" she requested of the bartender. He nodded and went off to get her drink.

One of the waitresses that Tony hired for the party came up to Nova. She was holding a tray of appetizers. "Can I tempt you with an appetizer?" she asked.

Nova's eyes lit up when she saw what it was. "Ooh, devilled eggs! One of my favourites!" She took one of the eggs and stuffed it in her mouth. "Mmm. Delicious!"

The waitress smiled at her. "Mr. Stark had them specially made for you. Can I offer you anything else? I can have the chef make something"

"No, I'm good for right now" Nova held up a finger. "Oh, actually I'd love something chocolatey"

The waitress nodded at her. "I'll see what our chef can do"

"Thank you!" Nova smiled at the waitress before she walked off. The bartender came back with her banana daiquiri. She thanked the bartender and then took a sip of her drink. She moaned at the delicious taste.

"You liking that drink, _Agent Carter?_ "A deep voice asked her. There was only one person who called her that.

"Hey, Fury" Nova greeted, turning in her seat to look at him. Fury sat in the seat next to her. "Yes, actually. I am in fact enjoying the drink very much" She then narrowed her eyes at him. "And you know what I said about you calling me Agent Carter in public. What are you doing here anyways?"

"After the invasion of New York—"

Nova cut Fury off. "About that, did you ever find out who sent the Chitauri?"

"No" Fury shook his head. He reached into his pocket. "But this was found by one of the agents I have scouting around the city" He gave Nova the note. She read the note.

_The one I want will be at Stark's party. Bring her to me, and you will be rewarded greatly. ~ G_

The thing that caught Nova's attention wasn't the message. It was the symbol on the paper. It was the HYDRA symbol. "Who is G?"

"I have no idea. I was hoping maybe you had some kind of clue"

"I don't know" Nova shook her head. "The HYDRA symbol is written on this paper"

"And HYDRA hasn't been around since you helped bring down their entire organization thirty three years ago"

That part was true. It was sometime in the early eighties when Nova, living as Peggy Carter, figures out that HYDRA was secretly operating from inside S.H.I.E.L.D. With the help of Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne (who at the time were working as the Ant-Man and The Wasp), they put a stop to Alexander Pierce who was the HYDRA leader at the time.

"This 'G' person, whoever they are, you don't think they're trying to bring back HYDRA, do you? And who is it that they want"

"I can't answer the first part of your question" Fury said, standing up from his seat. "But as for who they want, perhaps it's you. You are the former S.H.I.E.L.D director, and you took down the entirety of HYDRA"

"But nobody but you knows that I was Peggy Carter" Nova looked up at Fury and raised an eyebrow. "I am right on that account, right?"

"I have not told a soul about your true identity" Fury placed a hand on Nova's shoulder. "I know you came to have fun, but please try to work out this little problem. Maybe you can get your new friends to help you out" Fury suggested before he walked away.

Nova looked down at the note. Maybe if she did a scan of the note, it would pick up some fingerprints or some other form of DNA. She didn't want to bother any of her friends, including The Doctor. They came to have fun tonight, so she would let them have their fun.

She made her way to the elevator so she could go down to the garage to get to her Tardis. As she was waiting for the elevator, she was unaware of the pair of eyes watching her.

But it wasn't an evil pair of eyes. It was a pair of blue eyes that had been longingly staring at her since the moment she stepped out of the blue boxed Tardis.

Steve Rogers watched as Nova disappeared into the elevator. He noticed the worried expression she had on her face, and felt the compulsion to follow after her. He wanted to make sure that she was okay.

Steve approached the elevators, and pressed the down button, like he had seen Nova do. He didn't know exactly where she was going, but he had a hunch and decided to follow it. He pressed the button leading down to the garage where he knew Nova would most likely be with her Tardis.


	21. An Uninvited Party Guest 2

Steve wasn't the only one who saw Nova head for the elevator. Mickey, whom was chatting and getting along nicely with Scott Lang, had saw her head for the elevator. He also saw a man follow after her.

"Hey Scott," Mickey spoke up, tapping on his shoulder. He then pointed in the direction of the man waiting at the elevator. "Who's that over there?"

"That would be Captain America" Scott answered, saluting with a proud smile on his face. "Otherwise known as Steve Rogers"

Mickey nodded and thanked Scott, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "I've got to go find my friends, but maybe we could talk later" He then ran off to find Tate and Rose.

* * *

Nova made it down to the garage. When she got there, she was greeted by something rubbing up against her leg. She looked down and saw the familiar orange cat. "Hello Goose!" she greeted with a coo. She crouched down and started giving the cat pets. "You wanna go in the Tardis with me?"

_Meow_

"I'm gonna take that as a yes" Nova decided. She picked up Goose and tucked her into a position that would make her comfortable. Nova approached her Volkswagen and unlocked the back doors.

She stepped into the van, revealing the large, white interior of her Tardis. She put down Goose. Nova heard a voice in her head and knew that it was her Tardis telepathically communicating with her.

_Hello, Nightingale. Nice to see you haven't forgotten about me._

"Oh, Baby" Nova cooed, resting her hand on the console and rubbing it soothingly. "I would never forget about you. It's just I've been travelling with The Doctor..."

_Ah, yes. The other Time Lord. When am I going to meet him?_

"Soon, I promise" Nova smiled just at the thought of The Doctor.

_I know that smile! You're in love with him, aren't you?_

"Alright, Baby, that's enough out of you!" Nova scolded with a wag of her finger. "Now, onto a more serious matter, perhaps you could scan something for me?"

_Of course, Nightingale._

Nova began a scan of the mysterious note Fury had given her. Her Tardis whirred and buzzed as it scanned.

_Scan complete. I was able to trace fingerprints back to this woman._

On the Tardis monitor, a picture of a woman appeared. Nova immediately recognized her. She was one of the waitresses working the party. In fact, she was the one who offered the deviled eggs to Nova.

"Are you able to give me a name?" Nova inquired her Tardis.

_Yes. Her name is Marilyn Denver. She is the niece of former HYDRA leader, Alexander Pierce._

"HYDRA is making a return?" Nova muttered. "But why now? What's their motive?"

_I'm afraid I don't know how to answer that, Nightingale. But for right now, Marilyn Denver is the only known current member of HYDRA._

"Perhaps it had to do with whoever this G person is. Denver would have to be working under them"

_Nightingale, it would appear you have a visitor waiting outside._

There was a knock on the Tardis' doors. Nova, expecting it to be The Doctor or one of her companions, went to go open it. She fell nervous when she saw that it was someone else.

"Steve?"

He greeted her with a kind smile. "Hello, Nova" He revealed a white rose which he had been hiding behind his back. "This is for you"

Nova blushed yet smiled as she took the rose from Steve. She pressed the petals up to her nostril. The fresh smell was intoxicating. "This is very sweet of you, Steve. Would you like to come inside?"

"Are you sure it's roomy enough for both of us?"

"Believe me," Nova took Steve's hand in her own. "It's roomier than you think" She brought him into her Tardis.

* * *

Tate and Rose were laughing and talking with Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. "We're being completely serious!" Rose said. "Queen Victoria is a werewolf!"

Natasha shook her head with a laugh. "There is no way that's true"

"I believe them" Clint commented. He shrugged as he leaned back against the couch. "I mean, if Nova's van can be bigger on the inside, than it is on the outside, then why can't Victoria be a werewolf?"

"Yeah. How does it do that?"

Rose and Tate both shrugged. "That's Time Lord technology for you" Tate answered.

"And The Doctor's Tardis is that blue box over there?" Natasha pointed at it. It was still in the middle of the room, not that anyone seemed to mind.

"It sure is, and yes, his is bigger on the inside as well" Rose answered.

"Why is it that you two are the only Avengers that have actually been in Nova's Tardis?" Tate questioned.

"Well, the two of us had a mission to do in Budapest and Nova offered to take us in it" Clint mentioned. "Blew my mind the first time I saw it"

Just then, Mickey came running up to the two. He tapped on Rose's shoulder to get her attention. Rose turned to look at him. "Mickey, what's wrong?"

"I saw Nova going into one of the elevators, and Steve followed after her" Mickey explained.

"She probably went down to her Tardis. It stays in the garage" Tate said. He and Rose got up. "It was nice catching up again, but there's something we got to take care of" He said to Clint and Natasha.

The both of them gave understanding nods. Tate, Rose and Mickey began making their way to the elevators. "Mickey and I'll make our way down to the garage. Tate, you get The Doctor and tell him that Nova needs his help or something"

"On it" Tate nodded. "I'll meet you two down there with The Doctor" He ran off to go find The Doctor. Rose and Mickey waited for the elevator. When it arrived, they stepped inside. Rose pressed the button for the garage.

"Why exactly are we doing this?" Mickey wondered out loud. "Why is it so important for The Doctor and The Nightingale to be together?"

"They're both the last of their kind. They're both lonely. They can travel together forever. They don't have to worry about the other growing old and dying" Rose said. She smiled as she remember the first time they met each other on New Earth. "You should have seen the way they first looked at each other. It was love at first sight"

"Do you think when Time Lord soulmates meet each other, they're like bonded for life or something?"

"I'm not sure" Rose shrugged. "I'm pretty sure they have some sort of marriage ceremony. Maybe they do some sort of ritual or something when they get married that bonds them for life"

The elevator finally came to a stop on the garage floor. Rose took Mickey by the hand and began leading him to Nova's Tardis. Mickey whistled when he saw the Volkswagen. "Now that's vintage"

"I know!" Rose cheered with a smile. "I love her Tardis!"

"Is it open or do we knock?"

"Let me just try..." Rose opened the doors. "Guess it's unlocked. Shall we step in?"

* * *

Nova was explaining the note to Steve. "I don't know who, but someone is trying to bring back HYDRA. It's not just Marilyn Denver doing it on her own"

Steve held the note in his hand as he studied it. "And you have no leads on who this G is? Or who they're after?"

"Nope. I need to talk to Marilyn directly, but I doubt she'll tell me what I want to know"

"If you need any assistance," Steve placed a hand on her arm. "I'd be more than happy to help you"

Nova felt her two hearts beat hard against her chest. Steve was the first one she ever fell madly in love with. But then he was gone. He had crashed a plane into the ocean, and Nova still didn't understand the reason why. But now here he was. Standing beside her.

_I know what you're thinking about, Nightingale. Steve was in love with Peggy Carter. Not the Nightingale, not Nova Galvin. Besides, I can feel it. Your hearts belong to another._

"That's kind of you to offer, Steve, but I have another friend who would—"

"Nova?" she heard Rose's voice. Nova and Steve looked over to see that they were joined by Rose and Mickey.

"Rose Tyler! Mickey Smith!" Nova greeted with excitement. "I'm actually glad you're here. We could use your help"

Rose and Mickey looked at one another. Then Rose nodded as she looked back at Nova. "Right. That's why we're here"

"You seemed in a rush heading to the elevator" Mickey added. "Figured you might need some help"

"Wonderful! I always appreciate help from my wonderful companions. By the way, this is Steve Rogers" Nova introduces.

* * *

Tate was busy searching for The Doctor. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Natasha. "Hey Nat" Tate greeted her. He noticed the troubled look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Yours and Rose's friend said that Steve followed Nova down into the garage, right?" Natasha asked.

"Yes"

"I just remembered that Steve is away on a mission. He's like two states away. There's no possible way he could be at this party"

Tate's face drained of all colour and he went into panic mode. "Well, if Steve isn't actually here, then who the hell followed Nova?"

"Hello Tate!" A cheery voice said from behind him. It was just the person Tate had been looking for. "Have you seen Nova?" The Doctor asked. "She's supposed to meet me on the—"

Tate cut off The Doctor. "I think Nova might be in trouble! Rose and Mickey as well"

"My Supernova is in trouble?" The Doctor repeated. "Do you know where she..." He cleared his throat and corrected himself, remembering that Rose and Mickey were with her. "They went"

"They're in her Tardis. Oh, by the way. Doctor, this is Natasha. Natasha, this is The Doctor"

"Lovely to meet you, Natasha!" The Doctor smiled at her. His facial expression then turned serious. "Let's not waste anytime. Our friends need saving!"

* * *

"What was HYDRA exactly?" Rose wondered. Nova had finished explaining the whole situation to Rose and Mickey.

"They were a terrorist organization started by Johann Schmidt back in the nineteen forties" Nova began to explain. Rose and Mickey listened to her intently. Steve stayed unusually quiet. "For four decades, they managed to operate within S.H.I.E.L.D"

"Yeah, until Peggy Carter brought them down" Steve spewed uncharacteristically with venom.

Nova furrowed her eyebrows at him. She began noticing Steve's off behaviour since he made the comment about the Tardis. He had been in the Tardis before. Mickey asked another question. "Who was Peggy Carter?"

"Peggy Carter was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D, along with Howard Stark, Tony's father. Peggy also became a director for S.H.I.E.L.D"

"You know an awful lot about Peggy" Steve questioned.

"Nick Fury told me about her" Nova lied convincingly. "I admire her"

"So," Rose said, staring at the note she was now holding in her hand. "Obviously this G person is HYDRA's new leader, and they want to bring it back"

"Or," Mickey crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe HYDRA is just a small part of a bigger plan"

"Look at you, Mickey! Using that brain of yours!" Nova smiled proudly at him. Then she turned to look at Steve. "Tell me, _Marilyn_ , is he correct on that?"

"Marilyn?" Rose gasped.

Steve, or rather Marilyn, gave a smirk and a slow clap. "Oh, very good. What gave me away?"

"One, Steve Rogers would never speak so ill of Peggy Carter. He was madly in love with her" Nova explained. She listed off another reason. "And two, when I invited you inside the Tardis. You were saying you didn't think we'd be able to fit comfortably but Steve has seen my Tardis before"

"Well, I must say" Marilyn said, finally removing the mask that gave her Steve's appearance. "It's quite impressive. HYDRA could make use of technology like this. Once we get up and running that is"

"That will never happen. I can't let that happen"

"Yes it will!" Marilyn screamed. "It will rise again! And I will follow in my uncle's footsteps, and become the new leader. And as HYDRA's new leader, it will be my mission to find Peggy Carter and make her pay for what she did to my family"

"Peggy Carter is dead. She died sometime in the late nineties"

"I don't believe that for a second! I did my research. Her body was never found. She just disappeared. She's still out there somewhere, and I will find her!"

"Who is G?" Rose wondered. "And what do they have to do with this whole HYDRA thing?"

"She is the one who made a promise to me. If I bring her what she wants, she will help bring HYDRA back" Marilyn approached Nova, looking her directly in the eyes. "And for whatever reason, she wants you"

"Me?" Nova furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't know this G person. What could she possibly want with her?"

"What does G want with Nova?" Mickey interrogated.

Marilyn shrugged. "She declined to share that information with me" A devious smirk appeared on her face. "But if you're so important to someone like her, maybe you'd be of use to me"

"Whatever you're thinking, don't you—" Nova didn't get a chance to finish as Marilyn pulled out a dart gun. She managed to shoot tranquilizer in the necks of Nova, Rose and Mickey. The three of them passed out.

Marilyn gave Nova a kick to make sure that she was knocked out. She held her wrist up to her mouth and spoke into a hidden microphone. "I've got the girl, but we're not giving her up just yet. I want Dr. Vick to run some tests on her. She's got two friends with her. Might as well keep them locked up for now"

* * *

The Doctor, Tate and Natasha managed to get down to the garage. Natasha had her batons with her invade there was a fight. "Doesn't look like a struggle was put up" she commented.

"Hopefully they're still in the Tardis" Tate hoped.

"Well, they were definitely in there" The Doctor said. They had found Nova's Tardis, and found it wide open. The three of them stepped inside. The Doctor looked around in amazement. He loved her Tardis. "Oh, she's got a beautiful Tardis!"

"Doctor, focus!" Tate said. The three of them began to look around. While Natasha and The Doctor stayed in the console room, Tate went to go look in the other rooms.

_You're the other Time Lord!_

The Doctor heard a voice in his head. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked around for the source of the voice. Then he realized. "Is this Nova's Tardis I'm speaking to right now?"

_Yes! That is me! Nova calls me Baby, but I'd prefer to be called Tim. It's a name I've heard before and I quite like it._

"Tim the Tardis!" The Doctor repeated with a grin. "Quite catchy!"

"I'm sorry? The Tardis' name is Tim?" Natasha wondered in confusion.

"Yeah, that's what it just told me"

"I wasn't aware Tardises could talk"

"They do it telepathically" The Doctor explained. "They can also translate other languages. Someone could be speaking German and you would hear English"

Tate came back into the console room. "I can't find Nova, Rose, or Mickey anywhere"

_They were taken away!_

Tate jumped in surprise when he heard the unfamiliar voice. "Who said that?" He demanded, whipping his head around to find the source of the voice.

The Doctor pointed upwards. "That was Tim"

Tate scrunched his face in confusion. "Tim? Who's Tim?"

_My apologies, Tate. You've never heard me speak before._

"Wait," Tate paused. He looked upwards. "Is the Tardis speaking?"

_The Tardis has a name and it's Tim!_

"Who took them Tim?" Natasha asked, hearing the Tardis speak as well.

A woman named Marilyn Denver. She's a woman who is trying to bring HYDRA back.

"Oh no," Tate groaned. "Not HYDRA"

"I'm sorry, but what's HYDRA?" The Doctor asked.

"A terrorist organization that used to operate inside S.H.I.E.L.D" Tate answered. "Natasha's only told me stories about them, but they sounded like really horrible people"

"They were" Natasha nodded.

"Tim," The Doctor continued to ask the Tardis. "Do you know where Marilyn took our friends?"

_Miss Denver said something about a hidden laboratory._

"Tate, does Nova ever go anywhere without her phone?" The Doctor asked.

"No, she always has it on her" A light bulb went off in Tate's head. "Her phone has a tracker in it! I can track it from my phone!"

"I was hoping you'd say something like that!" The Doctor exclaimed. He turned to face Natasha. "Once Tate finds out where they are, we're going to need backup. Could the other Avengers help us out?"

Natasha nodded. "Of course. We'd do anything for Nova"

"Brilliant!" Tate began tracking Nova's phone, and Natasha put in a call to some of her teammates. "Don't worry, Supernova," The Doctor said. "I'll be there soon"

* * *

When Nova began to wake up, she noticed that she was tied down to some sort of table. She tried looking around as best she could, but noticed that Rose and Mickey were nowhere in sight. "Rose? Mickey?" She called out but there was no answer.

"Don't worry about your friends" Marilyn's voice answered instead. "They're safe. For now"

"You let me go right now!" Nova growled as Marilyn approached the table. There were a couple other people with her. A big man with a scar across his cheek, and a woman wearing a lab coat and glasses.

"Or what?" Marilyn dared, but Nova stayed silent as she glared at her. "Yeah, that's what I thought"

"So, when are you going to take me to G? Or whatever her name is?"

"At first, I was gonna honour the deal I made with her," Marilyn admitted. She began circling around Nova. "But then I saw your van. What was it called? A Tardis?"

"Her name is Baby, and you will leave her out of this!"

Marilyn ignored her as she continued on. "Then it got me curious. Where did you get that kind of technology? And more importantly, what exactly are you? Because clearly you're something more than human..."

"You wanna know what you'll be?" Nova taunted. "Sorry if you don't let me go!" That earned her a slap to the face by Marilyn. It was a really painful slap.

"Shut up!" Marilyn stepped aside. The woman in the lab coat approached. She had a syringe in her hands. "This is Dr. Serena Vick. What Dr. Vick has in her hands, is a serum that will allow us to invade your thoughts" Marilyn pointed to a big screen in the middle of the room. "Anything that flashes in your mind, we'll be able to see on that screen"

Dr. Vick gripped onto Nova's arm. "This will be a very painful process, but lucky for you, it won't kill you" She said.

Nova could hear a voice inside her head. It was a familiar voice. One that filled her with ease and comfort. That voice belonged to none other than The Doctor.

_I'm coming, Supernova. Just hold out for me._

Nova smiled. They must have formed some telepathic link. She wondered. If it was a telepathic link formed out of love then...

That mean The Doctor would also begin to feel every inch of pain that she was about to feel.

Without any warning, Dr. Vick injected Nova with the serum. She began to feel the worst pain the she ever felt over her nine hundred years of life. Nova let out a blood-curdling scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick author's note, I'll be making up some of my own Time Lord/Gallifreyan lore for story purposes.


	22. An Uninvited Party Guest 3

Rose and Mickey were both locked up in some kind of cell. It was dark, with their only sources of light coming from a lightbulb hanging above their heads, and the moonlight shining through the window. "Do you think Nova's okay?" Mickey voiced concern for his friend.

While he was sitting on the bench, Rose was holding onto the bars of their cell, looking through the gaps. "I hope so" Rose prayed.

The two of them heard a scream echoing throughout the building they were in. Rose winced, and Mickey's mouth gaped in horror. "Was that Nova?"

Rose became angered at hearing her sister scream like that. "They're hurting her!" She began gripping the bars, unaware that there was a golden energy leaving her hands and burning into the metal.

"There's got to be a way we can get out of here" Mickey said. He got up from the bench and began looking around the cell. He checked for loose bricks or anything they could use to smash the bars with. "If only we had either The Doctor or Nova's sonic screwdriver, then we could—"

"Wait!" Rose cut him off, suddenly remembering something. Luckily, Nova had picked a dress with pockets for Rose. She reached into one of the pockets and pulled out Nova's sonic screwdriver. "Thanks for reminding me!"

"What are you doing with Nova's sonic?"

"Nova's dress didn't have pockets but mine did" Rose began looking for the lock to the cell. "She wanted me to hold on to her sonic just in case"

"Oh, thank you Nova" Mickey thanked with a clap of his hands.

Rose found the lock to the cell and scanned it with the sonic screwdriver. It only took a moment for it to unlock. "Bingo!" she cheered.

Her and Mickey left the cell. They began looking around for something to find themselves with. Luckily for them, they had managed to stumble upon an unguarded weapons room. "Looks like we hit the jackpot" Mickey commented.

"Seriously," Rose scoffed. She grabbed a couple of guns off of the wall. She gave one to Mickey. "Who leaves a bunch of weapons unguarded?"

"To be fair, they do think we're locked up, and they're too busy torturing Nova"

"We better go save her"

* * *

Tate was still in the process of tracking Nova's phone. Natasha was on call with a few of the Avengers, namely Stephen, Wanda, and Tony. The Doctor, however, felt a sudden pain on his right cheek.

"Ow!" He yelped out. He held his hand to his face. "It feels like someone just slapped me in the face" Then, a look of realization appeared on his face.

Tate noticed and questioned him on it. "What is it?"

"When two Time Lords love each other... y'know... romantically... they become linked, both physically and telepathically"

"Did you just admit that you're in love with Nova?" That seemed to be all Tate took out of that.

"Yes! And she's in love with me!" The Doctor said that in the most casual way possible. "Can we focus on finding her please?"

"So, if you're linked to one another, if one of you regenerates, does the other regenerate as well?"

"No, but we would be able to feel the others regeneration"

Tate's phone beeped, saying that he got a connection to Nova's phone. "I got a location! They've taken them somewhere near Staten Island. We can take the Tardis there"

That's probably not a good idea. I make a lot of noise and it would give us away.

"Stephen might be able to help out with that" Natasha suggested. "He can create a portal there. Drop us off discretely"

"Yes! Brilliant idea!" The Doctor agreed with her. He closed his eyes and relayed a message to Nova.

I'm coming, Supernova. Just hold out for me.

Then suddenly, The Doctor fell to the ground, feeling the most severe pain he's ever felt. "They're hurting her!" He grunted through the pain. "They're hurting my Supernova!"

* * *

Rose and Mickey crept through the warehouse in search for Nova. She was still screaming out in pain. "I can't stand hearing her like that" Rose cried in sympathy.

"Me neither" Mickey agreed. They finally came to a door. They could hear the screaming, and voices belonging to Marilyn and someone else. "Rose, I think this is the room"

There was a window on the door. Rose peeked through it. She became very angry at the sight she saw. Nova was restrained to a table. She was writhing about. There was a giant screen in the room and images flashed on it. She couldn't quite make out the images from the window though.

"What's going on?" Mickey asked.

"They've got Nova strapped down to a table. There's a screen in there, and they're watching something" The more Rose thought about it, the more she tied things together. "I think they might be Nova's memories"

"Invading her memories?" Mickey raised an eyebrow. "That's just not right"

"I think she's trying to fight it off though" Rose didn't notice, but the golden energy was leaving her hands again. It was beginning to melt through the door. "But it's hurting her. We've got to get in there and help her"

"Uh, Rose?" Mickey noticed the energy leaving her hands. "Your hands.... they're... er..."

"What?" Rose looked down at her hands. Mickey was right they were glowing. She also noticed the hole made in the door. "How did I...?"

"What happened to you, Rose?" Mickey now grew concerned about her as well. "How the hell can you glow like that?"

"I-I don't know" Rose stuttered out an answered. "This thing happened with The Doctor, the last one, not this one, but he saved me and..." Rose was cut off by another scream from Nova. "Hang on, Nightingale! We're coming!"

* * *

Nova was trying her best to fight off the memory serum. The screen flashed with images of her memory, as well as inside her head. She managed to block off parts of her memories, but some of them still showed. The first one was of a younger her with another girl.

_There were two young girls standing in the corridors of a building. They were both wearing gold dresses with red trim. Their long hair was wrapped up in intricate braids. They also both wore a golden ornament in their hair._

_"Neyquinn?" the younger of the two girls asked. The older girl looked at the younger girl._

_"Yes, Grari?"_

_"Do you promise, that no matter what happens, we'll always be together?"_

_"Of course" Neyquinn reached over to grab Grari's hand. "No matter what, we will always be sisters" They both gazes out the window. There was a man outside he wore robes of red adorned with a golden ornament. "But he will always be our father"_

"Interesting" Marilyn muttered. "Let's see what else is going on in that head of hers" Another memory appeared on the screen. This one was the one the gained her full attention. "Wait, that woman looks familiar"

_A brown haired and brown eyed woman with red lips sat at a table with a tall blonde man. They were laughing and holding hands._

_"I promise, that when this is all over, we can settle down and start a family" the man said._

_"There's no one I'd rather settle down with" the woman said. The two of them shared a loving kiss. "I love you, Steve Rogers"_

_"I love you too, Peggy Carter"_

Marilyn's eyes widened in surprise. "That's her! Agent Peggy Carter!" She looked over at Nova. " _She's_ Peggy Carter. But how?"

"Miss Denver," Dr. Vick said. "The memory is changing again"

_Peggy Carter stood with a man at an altar. She was wearing a white gown. It was a wedding. But she seemed so unhappy._

_"Hugh James, do you take Margaret Carter to be your lawfully wedded wife?"_

_Hugh looked at his bride with a smile. "I do"_

_"Margaret Carter, do you take Hugh James to be your lawfully wedded husband?"_

_Peggy looked at the man before her. This man wasn't Steve. No man could ever compare to Steve, but he would've wanted her to move on. She looked at Hugh and gave a small smile. "I do"_

The memory changed again.

_"Mom, do you have to leave again?" a teenaged girl asked._

_"Yes, Stephanie, I do have to leave" Peggy caressed the face of her oldest child and only daughter. "But I'll be back soon"_

_"Are you off to fight bad guys again, mommy?" Peggy's youngest child and only son wondered._

_Peggy smiled at him. "The baddest of them all, Grant"_

_She kissed both of her children on the forehead. Then she quickly kissed her husband. "I wish you wouldn't have to do this, Peggy"_

_"But I have to, Hugh. If HYDRA remains, it would be the end of free will for humanity"_

"So, she has a family" Marilyn said. An evil smile grew on her face. "If we can find her family, we could use them against her"

There was one more memory that appeared on the screen.

_"You must face the consequences for your actions" a man in robes said. Peggy stood in the doorway of some kind of ship. She stared out into the vast openness of space. There was a large solar flare._

_"P-please, don't do this," Peggy begged. She was about to be forced into a regeneration by being tossed into the solar flare. Not even a Time Lord could withstand that much radiation._

_"You will also lose memories of your husband and children. You will forget about them so you will never go looking for them"_

_"Stop this!" a voice announced. A black haired woman wearing an extravagant gown approached. "Please don't do this!"_

_"Neyquinn broke one of our sacred rules, Grari" the robed man said. "She fell in love with and married a human. She had children with that man. She must face the consequences"_

_Peggy was suddenly pushed out of the ship and into the direction of the solar flare. "No!" Grari screamed as she jumped out after her sister._

_Both girls became enveloped in the solar flare. The both of them began their regeneration progress. This regeneration was different, however, as they absorbed some of the energy from the flare. And this wasn't just any solar flare..._

Nova didn't realize it, but a force awakened within her. Her eyes shot open, but instead of their normal blue colour, her eyes lit up in an amber hue. Golden like cracks appeared in her skin, and her hair began to float. Nova's restraints also removed themselves.

"Mac!" Marilyn shouted with a panic to the scarred man in the room. "Stop her! Kill her! Do something!"

Mac pulled a gun out of his holster. He pointed it as he began to approach Nova. She was now off of the table and floating in mid-air. Mac was about to fire at Nova, until she waved her hand and he was thrown across the room. Mac hit the wall with a grunt, cracking it in the process.

"You will not harm this vessel!" Nova spoke in an unusually deep voice. "She and her friends are mine to protect!"

Marilyn gritted her teeth. Her attention turned to Dr. Vick. "Sedate her!"

Dr. Vick grabbed a needle off of a tray. It was already filled with a knock-out drug, incase something like this were to happen. She had grabbed Nova and managed to pin her down. Vick injected her, and Nova fell unconscious. Dr. Vick was suddenly shot by a blast from an energy pistol.

"Leave her alone!" Rose demanded. She was the one that shot the gun. Mickey was standing beside her, cocking an even bigger gun.

"You lay another hand on her, and I shoot this time" Mickey added. He looked down at the gun and smirked. "And believe me, I don't think you want to get hit with this thing"

At that same moment, a yellow spark appeared in the middle of the room and it quickly changed into a portal. The Doctor and Tate stepped through it, along with Natasha, Doctor Strange, Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch, and Tony Stark in his Iron Man armour.

"Alright," Tony started. He held his hands out, ready to shoot a blast at anyone who attacked. "Which one of you is the one who kidnapped our friends?"

"Oh, look who it is!" Marilyn chimed in with a scowl. "The Avengers! Earth's mightiest heroes. And look, they brought back up" Marilyn motioned towards The Doctor and Tate.

"Why would you take my Supernova?" The Doctor growled.

"And our other friends" Tate added. He looked towards Rose and Mickey. "You two okay?"

"We're fine" Mickey said. "Right, Rose?"

"Yeah. We're fine" she agreed.

"If you don't mind," The Doctor spoke again, taking a step closer to Marilyn. "I'm going to take my Supernova back"

Marilyn's eyebrows raised. "Oh, you're in love with her, aren't you?" She began laughing maniacally. "You love her! But she doesn't love you! I've seen her memories! There's only one person who she's ever loved, and quite possibly, still loves"

"What are you talking about?"

Marilyn gasped dramatically. "Oh, you don't know, do you? She's got quite the big secret"

The Doctor froze and just stared at Marilyn. He knew she was just trying to get a rise out of him, but he couldn't help but take her words seriously. Was there someone else Nova loved? And does she still love this person?

But the two of them had a telepathic and physical connection. He was able to hear her thoughts, feel her pain...

But then again, he had seen every memory that Nova had been forced to live through.

He saw the man who she used to love. He saw the family she had. He saw the punishment she was forced to go through. When he saw that last memory, The Doctor realized just who Nova actually was.

"Doctor, don't listen to her" Rose said. He got knocked out of his thoughts, and looked at Rose. "I know she hasn't said anything yet, but she loves you Doctor, and you love her. I can see it in the way you look at each other. You belong together. You need each other"

"Oh, please. Once she realizes she's still in love with Steve Rogers, she'll just leave you" Marilyn said.

"Wait," Tate paused, furrowing his eyebrows. "What do you mean still? She's never met Steve before the Chitauri invasion of 2012"

"She's been lying to you too" Marilyn said. She turned to Rose and Mickey. "You two as well. You all know her as Nova, the Nightingale. But I know her as a founder and former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The one who took down Alexander Pierce and put a stop to HYDRA"

Natasha was the first one to realize it. "Are you saying The Nightingale is Peggy Carter?"

"Woah" Tony muttered. "Did not see that one coming!"

"I had no idea..." Tate murmured. He was kind of hurt that Nova never told him, considering how close the two of them were. "She never told me"

"So, Steve and Nova used to be together?" Mickey asked. "Like, they used to be married?"

"Steve wasn't the one she married" The Doctor answered. "I saw images of her memories. She married someone else. A man named Hugh. She has two children. A daughter named Stephanie, and a son named Grant"

"Hang on," Rose realized something. "If Nova has children, wouldn't that make them half human, half Time Lord"

"I don't even think she remembers her children" The Doctor explained sadly. He approached the passed out Nova. He began caressing her cheek. "Those memories I saw... the ones of her family... they felt repressed. She was forced to forget them"

"Forced to forget?" Wanda finally spoke up. "Why would she be forced to forget?"

"Our home planet had very strict rules on relationships with humans. We weren't allowed to marry or begin a family with them. Nova would be considered royalty on our home, so what she did would be considered extra shameful

"As punishment, she was pushed into a solar flare. It triggered her regeneration. And then there was another woman. She jumped out after Nova. I think they were sisters. She underwent regeneration too. That was the last thing I saw before the flashes stopped"

"Enough talk!" Marilyn said. She grabbed a gun from her holster and pointed it at The Doctor. "Look, I can let you leave with your friends, but you're leaving Nova, or whatever her name is, with me!"

"I am not leaving her!"

"Do you realize how long I've been searching for Peggy Carter!?" Marilyn screamed. "She killed my uncle and ruined HYDRA! This is my chance for revenge! I will kill her!"

"You kill her, and she'll just regenerate again"

"Then first, I take it away! We have the technology to do so. HYDRA agents could definitely benefit from it" As if on cue, a horde of men with guns burst into the warehouse. "Look, I gave you a chance to just leave, but I guess now I'm gonna have to kill all of you"

With a snap of her fingers, Marilyn's agents began to attack. Natasha, Wanda, Stephen, and Tony began fighting them off.

The Doctor, Rose, Tate and Mickey all huddled around Nova. They needed to figure out a way to get her up. The Doctor cupped Nova's face. "Supernova, if you can hear me, I need you to get up, alright?" He grabbed her hand and held it against his chest. Her skin was unusually warm. "I'm here, Supernova. I came for you just like I said I would"

"Please, Nova" Rose pleaded. She grabbed her other hand. "We need you right now"

They were almost hit by a barrage of bullets, but a red psionic force field protected them. "I can't hold it for long!" Wanda said.

Somehow, Marilyn had managed to get behind The Doctor and she grabbed him. "Step away from her right now!" She pointed her gun at the other three, and they all put their hands up. "How many times do I have to tell you!? She's staying with me!"

"You're a psycho, you know that?" Mickey commented.

"Shut up!" Marilyn hissed. She then pointed the gun at The Doctor's head. "I think I'll start with you"

Suddenly, Marilyn was pushed back by the same invisible force from earlier. Everyone stopped the fighting to look her at Nova. She was floating in mid-air again.

"I am the Phoenix Force! I have chosen this vessel as my host! You will not hurt this vessel or the one she loves!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding my own twist to the Phoenix Force!


	23. An Uninvited Party Guest 4

Nova remained floating in mid-air. Everyone continued to stare at her. Marilyn's eyes flashed with fear as Phoenix-Nova moved towards her. "Get away from me!" Marilyn warned with a frightened hiss.

Phoenix-Nova tilted her head. "You caused harm to my vessel. You are an enemy of the Phoenix force"

"And what are you gonna do about it, huh?" Marilyn dared, finally getting up on her feet. She looked Phoenix-Nova right in her fiery eyes. "She needs to be punished for what she has done"

"The only one who deserves punishment is you" When Phoenix-Nova raised her hand, Marilyn was raised into the air as well. Marilyn began gasping for air as she felt an invisible force choking her. Her legs also began flailing and she started scratching at her neck.

"S-stop!"

"I will spare your life if you promise to never hurt my vessel or her friends again"

"Y-yes" Marilyn managed to say. "I p-promise!" Phoenix-Nova lowered her hand which made Marilyn dropped in the process. She began coughing, trying to catch her breath.

Natasha walked over to Marilyn. She grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up on her feet. "Marilyn Denver, you are under arrest. You will be taken into S.H.I.E.L.D custody" A bunch of other S.H.I.E.L.D agents burst in. They began to arrest all the other HYDRA members, including Mac and Dr. Vick.

The Phoenix force still had control over Nova's body. The Doctor approached her. Phoenix-Nova watched him carefully. "What are you?" he asked.

"You may call me Phoenix when I am in control of this vessel. I am a spark that gave life to the universe, but my purpose is to live within a vessel and protect it"

The Doctor noticed the golden cracks in Nova's skin. "You're not hurting her, are you?"

"I would never cause purposeful harm to my vessel, or those that she calls friends"

Rose stepped forward. "Does Nova have control over you?"

"For now, I only take control when her life is in danger. However, she's not comfortable enough with me to summon me of her own free will" Phoenix-Nova planted her feet on the ground. She moved closer to Rose. "I sense a force within you as well, but it is very different than what I am"

Phoenix-Nova then turned towards The Doctor. She caressed his face. "She cares for you deeply. More than the first one she's loved. She won't remember what's happened here tonight. She won't remember the resurfaced memories. She won't remember me taking control over her.

"I am running out of time. It's time for my vessel to take control again. But heed my warning. I also live within two other vessels. One bad, one neutral. Don't let the bad one get her hands on the stones. Seek out the neutral, get her on the side of good, before the bad seeks her out first"

Nova closed her eyes. The cracks left her skin. She nearly fell to the ground but she was caught by the red fabric of Stephen's cloak. Stephen had conjured up another portal leading back to the Avengers tower. "We should get her to the infirmary" He said. "Make sure she's okay"

* * *

Bruce Banner had finished running some tests and checking over Nova. She was still passed out. The Doctor came up to see her. "Will she be okay?" he asked.

"She's okay. She just had a lot of her energy drained out. She'll be asleep for another hour" Bruce explained. He looked down at the clipboard in his hands. "I did some tests on her, but found no trace of this force that lives within her. How did this thing even find her?"

"I know how" The Doctor answered. He became saddened at the memory he saw. "She was pushed into a solar flare. It absorbed into her when she regenerated"

"She was pushed into a solar flare?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. "But why?"

"It was punishment" The Doctor stared down at Nova. He took her hand in his.

Bruce took the hint. "I'll leave you two alone" He left the medical lab.

Once Bruce was gone, The Doctor started speaking to her. "Supernova, I saw things you probably never wanted me to know about. Things you probably never wanted to remember, things you were forced to forget. But no matter what I did see, that doesn't change the way I feel about you"

* * *

Tate was standing out on the balcony. There was a lot to wrap his head around. Not only did he find out that Nova was once Peggy Carter, but there was some kind of force living inside of her. "Penny for your thoughts?" Wanda said as she joined Tate.

"I'm just worried about Nightingale" Tate answered. "There's...something...living inside her and I'm afraid that it doesn't have pure intentions"

"You think it's using her?"

"I don't know," Tate shrugged. "Maybe? You heard what it said about these other vessels"

"What I heard it say, is we need to find the neutral one before the bad one does. Perhaps the one inside Nova does have pure intentions, but the one in the bad vessel doesn't"

"Then what about the neutral one?"

"It sounds like they will be influenced. That's why it's important we find her first" Wanda decided to change the subject. "So, you and Rose?"

"Me and Rose?" Tate blushed deeply, causing Wanda to chuckle. "We're just friends"

"You don't need to hide it in front of me" Wanda put her hand on his shoulder. "I saw the way you two were looking at each other all night. There's clearly a spark between you two"

Tate smiled. "You really think so?"

"I do" The two of them heard footsteps behind them. They both turned to see Rose standing behind them. "I'll leave you two alone"

Wanda left the two alone on the balcony. Rose watched her carefully as she went over to stand beside Tate. "Are you and Wanda...?"

Tate shook his head. "No. The two of us are just friends"

"Oh" Rose nodded tucking her hair behind her ear. She placed a hand on the rail. Their hands were just barely touching each other. "You think Nova will be alright?"

"Oh, yeah" Tate said. "I mean, we should still be cautious of this Phoenix force"

Rose nodded in agreement. "I mean, as long as it doesn't want to hurt her or us, she'll be fine" She stared out at the city skyline.

Tate couldn't help but stare at her. Her hair was being waved by a slight wind, and the lights from below were just enough to highlight the features from her face. "Rose?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, Tate?"

"I think that I—" Tate was about to spit it out when Mickey intruded.

"Good news! Nova is awake!" He explained. "She's asking for us. The Doctor doesn't want us to say anything about what happened though"

* * *

Nova's face lit up when she saw her friends enter. "My friends! It's good to see that none of you are hurt!"

"Hello Nova" Rose greeted with a smile. "You feeling okay?"

"The best I've felt in nine hundred years" Nova answered. She felt her head throbbing. "My heads killing me though. Does anyone have any aspirin?"

The Doctor stood up from his seat. "I'll go ask around for some" He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He left the medical lab.

"So, do you remember anything that happened?" Tate asked Nova.

She furrowed her brows and shook her head. "Oddly enough, I don't. I remember Dr. Vick injecting me with something, then I blanked out on everything after that. Do you guys know what happened?"

Rose, Tate and Mickey all shared looks with each other. They did know what happened but The Doctor said not to tell her. "Er, not really no" Tate said.

"Yeah, all we know was The Doctor and a few Avengers came to the rescue. Then S.H.I.E.L.D came and arrested anyone who was HYDRA" Mickey explained.

"Oh" Nova murmured. She could tell they were hiding something and that there was more to the story, but right now wasn't the time to ask. "Rose, do you still have that note?"

She reached into her pocket. "Yeah, it's right here"

"Good" Nova took the note from Rose. "I still need to work out who G is. They can't be good news if they were willing to help bring HYDRA back"

"I still think that was just part of a bigger plot" Mickey added.

"I agree with you, Mickey" Nova said. At that moment, The Doctor returned with some aspirin and a glass of water.

"Here you go, Supernova" The Doctor said, handing her both the items. Nova thanked him and took the aspirin. He then turned to face the other three. "Can I talk to all of you?"

"Should I be concerned?" Nova asked.

The Doctor smiled at her. "No. Everything is fine. I just need to talk to Rose, Tate and Mickey about something"

Nova nodded and smiled at them. She made a motion at them, telling them to go talk. The four of them gathered outside. Tate proceeded to ask. "What's going on, Doctor?"

"Nova shouldn't know what happened with either the memory serum or the Phoenix force" The Doctor explained.

"Why?" Rose added. "Why don't you want Nova knowing what happened?"

"Because we don't know much about this Phoenix force yet" The Doctor answered. "We don't even know what it wants yet. All it said was something about a bad vessel and a neutral vessel, and how it's important we find the neutral vessel right away"

"We are going to look for it, right?" Mickey asked.

"Not us, no" The Doctor shook his head. "The Avengers offered to start looking for us. If they find anything, I told them to let me know"

"So, Nova doesn't remember her memories resurfacing or being the Phoenix force?" Rose wondered.

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way, for now" The Doctor turned his head to look at Nova. She was looking up at the tiles on the ceiling. She was counting them. The Doctor smiled at her. "Poor, Supernova. She lost her first love, and she was forced to forget about her family"

Rose frowned. "Who would make her forget such a thing?"

The Doctor continued to stare at Nova. "Her father" He then turned to face the other three again. "She'd be considered royalty on Gallifrey. She's the Lord President's daughter"

* * *

Tony had offered everyone an extra room to stay the night. He wanted to make sure everyone was well rested before they got to travelling again. Nova, however, was forced to stay in the medical lab under Bruce's orders.

Rose was in her room. She had a movie set up and a bowl of popcorn in her hand. She was about to start the movie when there was a knock on her door. She answered it and saw Tate on the other side. "I'm not bothering you, am I?" He asked.

Rose shook her head. "Not at all. Come in. I was just about to watch a movie" She closed the door after Tate stepped inside. Both of them climbed into the bed. The movie started. "I've been thinking about something"

"What?" Tate asked the popped a piece of popcorn in his mouth.

"It's about Nova's family" Rose answered. "I think we should look for them"

"Really?" Tate asked to which Rose responded with a nod. "But The Doctor said that—"

"We shouldn't tell Nova about what happened. He didn't say anything about not looking for her family"

Tate pursed his lips. "I don't know Rose..."

"Come on, Tate" Rose grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "This would be a nice thing to do for Nova. We already have a name. The James family. We know her ex-husband is named Hugh and that she has two children named Stephanie and Grant"

"Okay, say that by some miracle we do find her family, what do we even tell them? Hey, your mother isn't really dead and she's living with a different face?"

"Okay, maybe we don't tell them that part. But we just figure out some way for them to meet Nova. They might not remember her, but maybe she would remember them"

Tate mulled it over. He could tell that Rose really wanted to do this for Nova. And besides, it would be nice if she reunited with her forgotten family. "Alright, Rose"

Rose smiled and hugged him. "Thanks Tate. But, let's keep this between us. We do not tell The Doctor about this"

* * *

Nova was sleeping when she saw an image of a girl flash in her mind. It was a red headed girl who looked no older than eighteen. She was sitting under a tree reading a book. Nova had suddenly appeared in front of the girl. The girl looked up from her book and at the Time Lady.

"What's going on?" Nova asked. She looked around at her surroundings. She was in front of some kind of building. "Where am I? And who are you?"

"Don't worry. You're still safe wherever you are" The girl closed her book and got up. She walked over to Nova. "The both of us are dreaming. I brought you into my dream telepathically. A voice told me to reach out to you so I did"

"Alright, if I'm here I suppose I should introduce myself" Nova said. She held out her hand to the woman. "I'm The Nightingale but you may call me Nova"

The woman took Nova's hand and shook it. "Jean" She introduced herself. "Jean Grey"

"Pleasure to meet you Jean" Nova smiled. The two girls let their hands go. "Do you know why a voice would tell you to reach out to me?"

Jean shook her head. "I don't know. It just said that something connects us to each other"

"Interesting" Nova muttered. "I wonder what it could be. What are you, Jean?"

"I'm a mutant. I'm telepathic and telekinetic" Jean answered. She motioned to the building behind her. "This is Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. It's a school for mutants. It's a place where they can feel accepted. What about you, Nova? What are you?"

"I'm a Time Lady. I come from a planet called Gallifrey. I travel throughout space and time"

Jean smiled at her. "That sounds like fun"

"It is" Nova nodded. "What year is it where you are, Jean?"

"Nineteen eighty three"

"Really? For me, I'm in twenty sixteen"

"So we're both in different times?"

"It would seem so"

"I can feel the connection coming to an end" Jean warned. "I hope we meet again"

"Me too" Nova agreed. "Maybe one day our paths will cross. I do travel through time with my friends after all"

"I would like that. Maybe if we do meet, I could go on a trip with you and your friends?"

Before Nova had the chance to answer Jean's question, she woke up and found herself back in the medical lab. The Doctor fell asleep in the chair beside her. The moment she woke up, she muttered Jean's name which caused The Doctor to wake up as well.

"Who's Jean?" He asked her.

"I'm not sure" Nova shook her head. "She pulled me into her dream. She said we were connected somehow"

The Doctor went wide eyed. It was like something clicked in his brain. "Connected how? Did she say?"

"No" Nova answered. "She just said that a voice told her to call out to me. She's a telepathic mutant living in the nineteen eighties" She noticed the look on The Doctor's face. "Is something wrong?"

"What?" The Doctor muttered before shaking his head. "No, everything is fine" He then smiled. "Just glad to see your feeling better"

"And you fell asleep in a chair for me" Nova said.

"Well after what happened, I don't think I ever want to let you out of my sight again"

There was a moment of silence between them. "Doctor, back in the warehouse, I could hear you speak to me in my mind"

"And I felt a pain on my cheek"

"Yeah, Marilyn slapped me pretty hard. You felt that?" Nova asked to which The Doctor nodded. "So, we have a telepathic and physical link to one another..."

"Which means..." The Doctor trailed off. Nova nodded, knowing what he was about to say. The Doctor reached over to take her hand. "Do you...?"

"Yes" Nova answered with a smile. "And do you...?"

"I do" The Doctor smiled, squeezing her hand gently. "I hope that we can travel together forever"

"We will, Doctor" Nova assured. "Even if something or someone tries to keep us apart, we'll push through it"

"You promise?"

"I promise"

* * *

The next morning, Nova went to gather everyone for breakfast. She came to stand in front of Rose's room. The door was open and she saw that Rose and Tate had fallen asleep together. Rose was snuggled into Tate's side, while he had his arms wrapped around her.

"Aww, that's so cute" Nova muttered happily to herself. However, the cute sight in front of her was quickly gone as she spoke in a booming voice. "Tate Peltzer! Rose Tyler! It is eight o'clock in the morning, and breakfast is being served!"

Rose shot up while Tate ended up yelping in surprise and rolled up the bed. "Nightingale!" He groaned in annoyance. "There is another more appropriate way to wake somebody up"

"I'm sorry" Nova apologized. "Anyways, come down to the kitchen. We'll have breakfast and then we'll be on our way to our next adventure"

Rose smiled at Nova. "It's good to see you're back to your old self, Nova"

"Thank you, Rose. As I was saying, down to the kitchen for breakfast" Nova left the room, leaving Rose and Tate alone again.

"Before we leave today," Rose started. "We should talk to Tony or Natasha, and ask if they can track down Nova's family"

"You're really serious about this, aren't you Rose?" Tate asked.

"Yes, I am"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point on, I'm also introducing an AU X-Men as well. As you can tell with the introduction of Jean Grey.


	24. Rise of the Cybermen 5.1

The Tardis team stood in front of the blue box, ready to part on another adventure. Tony, Natasha, and Wanda stood with them, ready to say their goodbyes. "Well, thank you again for having us" Nova said. "Even if HYDRA did try to take over again"

"At least you guys were here to help put a stop to that" Natasha said.

"It was a pleasure to meet all of you" The Doctor said with a smile.

"Yeah" Rose agreed with a nod. "All of you are amazing"

"Before you guys head off, I actually have some gifts for you" Tony said. He reached into the pocket of the blazer he was wearing. He pulled out three phones, similar to the ones that Nova and Tate had. "These are Stark phones. The latest model. It has all the Avengers contact information, and select S.H.I.E.L.D agents"

"This is a phone?" Mickey wondered with wide eyes as he took his. He inspected it closely. "This is awesome!"

"Wow" Rose gasped as she took her phone. "I don't know what to say"

"You guys are our friends now" Wanda admitted with a smile. "We figured you guys might like to keep in contact with us just like Nova and Tate do"

The Doctor accepted his phone with a smile, and tucked it away in his pocket. "I hope to hear from one of you again very soon" He said as a shared a knowing look with the three of them. They all responded with a nod. They would search for the vessel that the Phoenix force had mentioned, and promised to keep The Doctor updated. 

"Oh, Doctor" Nova sighed, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm sure Tony will throw another party soon" She then pointed at Tony, Natasha, and Wanda. "And I expect you guys to take good care of Baby"

"Er, it's actually Tim" The Doctor corrected her.

Nova blinked in confusion and looked at him. "What?"

"Your Tardis. It prefers Tim"

"Tim?" Nova furrowed her eyebrows. "And how would you know this?"

"It told me when I was in there looking for you" Nova and The Doctor continued to bicker about the name of her Tardis as they stepped inside The Doctor's Tardis. Rose, Tate and Mickey all shared amused looks with each other as they followed after them.

* * *

Nova had asked for Tate to join her in another room of the Tardis so she could speak privately to him. "What's going on, Nova?" Tate wondered.

"Well, you're my best friend, and I don't want to keep any secrets from you" Nova spoke quietly. She linked her hands together and looked down at them. Tate nodded in return. Was she finally going to tell him the truth about being Peggy Carter? "Does the name Jean Grey mean anything to you?" 

Tate furrowed his eyebrows. "Jean Grey? No, I don't believe I know anybody by that name. Why?"

"Last night, I had a dream about a young woman. It turns out it was her dream as well, and she pulled me into her dream. Her name is Jean Grey. She said a voice told her to call out to me. She said something connects us to each other"

Tate found this curious. What could possibly connect his best friend and this stranger she's talking about? Wait a minute. What if Jean Grey was the vessel that the Phoenix force was talking about? Perhaps that's what connected them... "You've got your thinking face on!" Nova commented. "Tell me what it is"

Tate panicked. Nova didn't know about the Phoenix force, and The Doctor didn't want her to know. Not yet at least. "Er, nothing important really" He quickly lied. He proceeded to interrogate Nova more about Jean. "What do you know about this Jean?"

"Well," Nova began to list off. "She's American, she's got red hair. Long beautiful red hair if I might add. Y'know, one of these days, I'd like to have red hair. I think that I--"

"Focus, Nightingale!" 

"Right, right" Nova shook her head. "Where was I? Ah! She's a mutant--"

"Wait, a mutant?"

"Yes, she's telepathic and telekinetic. She lives at a place called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Oh, and she's living in nineteen eighty three" They heard something like an explosion coming from the console room. It caused the Tardis to shake which knocked them both to the ground.

"What was that?" He asked.

"I don't know" Nova said. The both of them got back on their feet. "Let's go check on the others"

* * *

The Doctor and Rose were reminiscing about past adventures. "And that weird munchkin lady with the big eyes? Do you remember?" The Doctor asked. "The way she looked at you! And then she opens her mouth and fire comes out!"

Rose couldn't contain her laughter. "I thought I was going to get frazzled!"

"Yeah. One minute she's standing there, and the next minute roar!"

Mickey laughed awkwardly as he watched them. He was beginning to feel left out again. He would've went off to join Nova and Tate but he was currently holding down a button on the console. "Yeah. where was that, then? What happened?" He asked.

"Oh, it was on this er, this er planet thing. Asteroid." The Doctor explained. "It's a long story, you had to be there. Er, what're you doing that for?"

"Because you told me to"

"When was that?"

"About half an hour ago"

"Er, you can let go now"

Mickey took his finger off the button. Rose started laughing. "Well, how long's it been since I could've stopped?"

"Ten minutes? Twenty? Twenty nine?"

"You just forgot me!" Mickey accused The Doctor.

"No, no, no. I was just, I was," The Doctor scrambled for an excuse. "I was calibrating. I was just. No, I know exactly what I'm doing" The time rotor blew up in sparks. It knocked The Doctor, Rose and Mickey to the ground. They all gripped onto the console for leverage. 

"What's happened?" Rose asked

"The time vortex is gone. That's impossible. It's just gone" The Doctor said. "Brace yourself! We're going to crash!"

The Tardis came to a sudden stop. Gas masks dropped from the ceiling. The power also turned off. Nova and Tate came running into the console room. "What's going on? Is everyone okay?" Nova asked. She began whipping her head around. "Rose? Mickey?"

"I'm fine. I'm okay" Mickey assured. "Sorry. Yeah"

"What happened?" Nova asked as she walked over to The Doctor. She held out her hand for him. He grabbed it and got up to his feet. 

"She's dead" The Doctor said. "The Tardis is dead"

Rose and Mickey also got up on their feet. "You can fix it?" Rose asked.

"There's nothing to fix. She's perished" The Doctor tried flicking a few switches on the console but nothing happened. "One of the last Tardises in the universe"

"We can get help, yeah?" Rose suggested. 

"Where from?"

"Well, we've landed. We've got to be somewhere"

"We fell out of the vortex, through the void, into nothingness. We're in some sort of no place. The silent realm. The lost dimension"

Mickey opened the Tardis doors. "Otherwise known as London" He said, followed by a triumphant laugh. The Tardis team stepped outside. They were parked at Lambeth Pier. "London, England, Earth. Hold on" Mickey picked up a discarded newspaper. Rose and Tate crowded around Mickey. "First of February this year not exactly far flung, is it?"

"So this is London?" The Doctor asked. Nova could tell he was a bit skeptical about it, but honestly, so was she. "Your city?"

"That's the one" Mickey nodded.

"Just as we left it?"

"Bang on"

The Doctor and Nova looked up to see Zeppelins over their heads. "Does that include Zeppelins?" Nova inquired. Rose, Mickey and Tate also looked up to look at the Zeppelins. They were massive.

"What the hell?" Mickey gasped.

"That's beautiful" Rose commented.

"I agree with Rose" Tate added. He draped his arm over her shoulders. "They are kind of cool"

"Okay, so it's London with a big international Zeppelin festival" Mickey tried convincing.

"This is not your world" The Doctor explained.

"Unfortunately, he's right" Nova agreed with him.

"But if the date's the same," Mickey paused when he realized. "It's parallel, right? Am I right? Like a parallel Earth where they've got Zeppelins. Am I right? I'm right, aren't I?"

"Must be" The Doctor said.

"So a parallel world where--" Rose was cut off by Mickey.

"Oh come on" He turned around to look at her. "You've seen it on films. Like an alternative to our world where everything's the same but a little bit different, like, I don't know, traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected"

"And he's still alive" Rose finished. She was staring at a billboard for a product called Vitex Life. It depicted a man holding a bottle in his hand. The bottle was Rose's father, Pete Tyler. "A parallel world and my dad's still alive"

Rose began approaching the billboard. The Doctor followed beside her, muttering protests to her. "Don't look at it, Rose. Don't even think about it. This is not your world"

"But he's my dad and..." Rose touched the billboard, which activated a short film. It was of Pete Tyler repeating the same words. _Trust me on this_. "Well, that's weird. But he's real" A proud smile grew on Rose's face. "He's a success. He was always planning these daft little schemes. Health food, drinks and stuff. Everyone said they were useless. But he did it"

The Doctor gripped Rose's shoulder and he looked her right in the eyes. "Rose, if you've ever trusted me, then listen to me now" Rose glanced at the billboard. "Stop looking at it. Your father's dead. He died when you were six months old. That is not your Pete. That is a Pete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie, his own Rose. His own daughter who is someone else, but not you. You can't see him. Not ever" Rose nodded weakly. A frown grew on her face and she looked down at the ground.

Nova placed at hand on Rose's back and rubbed it comfortingly. "I know it's upsetting to hear Rose, but it's for the best" But little did she know, there was a surprise that awaited Nova in this parallel universe.


	25. Rise of the Cybermen 5.2

Rose had run off somewhere. The Doctor and Nova stepped into the Tardis where Mickey was waiting. Tate was missing so the two of them assumed he went off with Rose. "I told you to keep an eye on her" The Doctor scolded Mickey.

"She's all right" Mickey assured.

"She goes wandering off. Parallel world, it's like a gingerbread house. All those temptations calling out"

"Oh, so it's just Rose, then? Nothing out there to tempt me?"

"Well, I don't know, I can't worry about everything" The Doctor looked at the console. "If I could just get this thing to," He tried kicking it.

"Did that help?"

"Yes"

"Did that hurt?"

"Yes" The Doctor took a seat on the bench. He kicked his leg up and gripped onto his foot. "Ow"

* * *

Rose and Tate had found a bench overlooking the Thames. Zeppelin propellers thrummed above them. "Tate, is there anything you wished was different in a parallel world?" Rose wondered.

Tate mulled it over. "I wish my mother wasn't an alcoholic. I wish she hadn't driven my father away" Tears came to his eyes as he thought back to his childhood. "I was seven when dad decided to divorce my mum. She got so blackout drunk while he was at work. I remember the fight they had. He was so mad at her. The next morning, he was gone. Without word. Well, he left me a letter, but he never told my mom"

Rose listened intently to Tate as he continued on. "Then one night, when I was fourteen, my mum took it too far. She got drunk out of her mind again. I got home from school, and found bottles everywhere. I told my mum she had to stop, or she was going to lose me like she lost my father. Then she punched me. Hard. It gave me a black eye that lasted for a couple of weeks"

"Tate, I'm so sorry" Rose voiced sympathy for him. She placed a hand on his knee and rubbed at it comfortingly. "You shouldn't have gone through that. You or your father"

He gave Rose a weak smile. "What if here that stuff never happened? What if mum had been sober? What if dad had stuck around?" Just then, Rose's phone started beeping. Her old phone. She looked at it to see a message from the Cybus Network. _Welcome! Free Trial Period_. "What's going on?"

"My phone. It gave me a message about a free trial period and now it's playing some news report" Rose explained. A large Zeppelin was passing overhead. They both quirked up their heads to look at it. Something about the Zeppelin seemed so... dark and looming.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova sat together on the bench in the Tardis. Nova had her arms wrapped around one of his own, and her head rested on his shoulder. "We're not meant to be here. The Tardis draws its power from the universe, but it's the wrong universe. It's like diesel in a petrol engine" The Doctor explained.

Mickey sat on the opposite side of Nova. "But I've seen it in comics. People go hopping from one alternative world to another. It's easy" 

"Not in the real world" Nova admitted. "It used to be easy. When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities, home in time for tea"

The Doctor continued on. "Then they died, and took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed. Everything became that bit less kind"

"Then how did we get here?" Mickey wondered.

The Doctor rubbed his face with his hand. "I don't know. Accident?" He suggested. "Should've been impossible. Now we're trapped" A little green light caught his attention. "What's that?"

"What?"

"I see it too" Nova said, her attention landing on the green light as well.

"That, there" The Doctor pointed at the light. Mickey finally saw it. "Is that a reflection? It's a light! Is it? Is that a light? I think that's a light" They all crouched down and looked down between the grates in the floor.

"That is definitely a light, Doctor" Nova smiled.

"That's all we need" They removed the section of grating. "We've got power! Mickey, Supernova, we've got power! Ha!" The Doctor jumped down into the main part below the console. He pulled out different parts and wires. "It's alive!"

"What is it?" Mickey asked. 

"It's nothing. It's tiny. One of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever bothers about, and it's clinging onto life, with one little ounce of reality tucked away inside"

"Enough to get us home?"

"Not yet" The Doctor had the light in his hand. "I need to charge it up"

"We could go outside and lash it up to the National Grid"

"Good suggestion, Mickey" Nova commended, giving him a pat on the back. "But it would be the wrong sort of energy"

"She's right" The Doctor vouched. "It's got to come from our universe"

"But we don't have anything" Mickey stated.

The Doctor and Nova both gave each other knowing looks. "There's us" Both Time Lords blew on the green light. It glowed brighter than before. They both smiled. " We both just gave away ten years of our lives"

"Worth every second" Nova added.

Mickey smiled admiringly at the light. It began to flicker. "It's going out. Is that okay?" Mickey asked.

"It's on a recharging cycle. It'll loop round, power back up and be ready to take us home in, oo, twenty four hours?" The Doctor said, pressing a kiss to the light.

"So that gives us twenty four hours on a parallel world?"

"Shore leave. As long as we keep our heads down. Easy. No problem. Let's go and tell them"

* * *

The three of them found Rose and Tate at the embankment. They were still sitting at the bench. "There you are. You alright? No applause. I fixed it" The Doctor said, holding up the light. The Doctor and Nova joined them on the bench, while Mickey remained standing off to the side. "Twenty four hours, then we're flying back to reality" The Doctor noticed the look on Rose's face. "What is it?"

"My phone connected. There's this Cybus Network. It finds your phone. It gave me Internet access" Rose explained.

"Rose, whatever it says, this is the wrong world" 

"I don't exist"

"What do you mean?"

"There's no Rose Tyler. I was never born. There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie. He still married mum but they never had kids"

The Doctor tried snatching Rose's phone from her hand. "Give me that phone!"

"They're rich" Rose smiled amusingly. "They've got a house and cars, and everything they want. But they haven't got me" She got off of the bench. "I've got to see him"

"You can't" The Doctor protested.

"I just want to see him"

"I can't let you!"

"You just said twenty four hours!"

"You can't become their daughter, that's not the way it works. Mickey, tell her"

"Twenty four hours, yeah?" Mickey double-checked before he stepped away from the bench.

"Where are you going?" The Doctor questioned as he stood up.

"Well, I can do what I want"

"I've got the address and everything" Rose stated, holding up her phone. She looked in Tate's direction. "You want to come with me?"

Tate jerked to get up, but Nova placed a hand on his arm to keep him in place. "Don't you dare, Tate Peltzer" Nova warned. Even The Doctor turned around to give him a warning glare.

Tate huffed and shoved Nova's hand off of him. He got up from the bench and walked over beside Rose. "Look, this obviously means a lot to Rose, and if she wants me to go with her, then I will"

Nova groaned in annoyance and put her head in her hands. The Doctor glanced between the three of them. "Stay where you are, all three of you" Rose and Tate started walking hand-in-hand in one direction, and Mickey started walking off in the other. The Doctor tried to stop them. "Rose and Tate, come back here! Mickey, come back here right now!"

"I just want to see him!" Rose pleaded her case.

"Yeah, I've got things to see and all" Mickey argued his.

"Like what?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, you don't know anything about me, do you? It's always about Rose, Tate, and Nova. I'm just a spare part"

At this point, Nova had gotten up from the bench. She walked over to Mickey. "Oh, Mickey. You know that's not true!"

Mickey shook his head. "Don't you try to stop me either"

"I'm sorry," Rose apologized. "I've got to go" She walked off with Tate. Nova and The Doctor hesitated to follow after them. They were both looking at Mickey.

Mickey motioned after them. "Go on, then. There's no choice, is there? You can only chase after one of us. Or should I say two. It's never going to be me, is it?"

The Doctor looked between Rose and Tate, and Mickey. He made the decision to follow after Rose and Tate. "Back here, twenty four hours!" He told Mickey before running off. Nova stayed behind.

"Mickey..." she started but he stopped her.

"Nova, thanks for thinking of me, but I don't want you following after me" Mickey said to her. "Besides, I can see you want to go with The Doctor, and I don't want to be the reason you don't follow after him"

Nova gave Mickey a small smile before pulling him into a hug. "Just be safe, alright?" Their hug ended. "Remember, back here, twenty four hours" Nova reminded him before running off after The Doctor.

"Yeah," Mickey muttered to himself. "If I haven't found something better" He proceeded to walk off with a specific location in mind.


	26. Rise of the Cybermen 5.3

The Doctor and Nova had caught up to Rose and Tate. The street was crowded with civilians, officers, and soldiers. Nova proceeded to ask Rose about where Mickey might have gone, and Rose was able to give her an answer. "Mickey's mum just couldn't cope. His dad hung around for a while, but then he just sort of wandered off. He was brought up by his gran. She was such a great woman" Rose smiled as she reminisced about Mickey's grandmother. "God, she used to slap him! And then she died. She tripped and fell down the stairs. It's about five years ago now. I was still in school"

"I never knew" The Doctor piped in.

"Well, you never asked"

"You never said"

"That's Mickey. I suppose I, we just take him for granted. Do you think she's still alive, his gran?" Rose looked to The Doctor for an answer.

"Could be. Like I said, parallel world, gingerbread house. We need to get out of here as fast as we can"

There was a beeping sound and everyone came to a still stop, including the policemen. The Tardis team also stopped, but they stopped in confusion. "What's happening?" Tate asked.

"They've stopped" Nova stated the obvious. The one thing that was the same about everyone that stopped was the earpieces they were all wearing. The earpieces all started flashing. Nova took a closer look at one of the earpieces. "It's the earpieces. Like Bluetooth attachments, but everyone's connected together"

Rose's old phone began beeping again. She unzipped her pocket and reached in it to grab her phone. "It's on my phone. My old one, that is" She explained, staring down at it. "It's automatic, look. It's downloading" The Doctor put on his glasses and peeked at Rose's phone. "Is this what they're all getting? News, international news, sports, weather"

"They get it direct. Downloaded right into their heads" The Doctor said.

"TV schedules, lottery numbers"

"Everyone shares the same information" The Doctor took Rose's phone. "A daily download published by Cybus Industries" The next download was Joke. Everyone started laughing and then they went about on their business. "You lot, you're obsessed. You'd do anything for the latest upgrade"

"Oi, not my lot" Rose corrected The Doctor. "Different world, remember"

"It's not so far off your world. This place is only parallel" The Doctor shrugged, continuing to look through Rose's old phone.

"Wait a minute, how come my old phone gets all this stuff, but the Stark phones aren't?" Rose looked to Nova for an answer this time.

"Stark phones are protected" Nova answered. "No unauthorized networks are allowed to connect to it. If it's not approved by Tony, it won't connect. Cybus Network is unauthorized"

"Oh, look at that" Something on Rose's phone peaked The Doctor's interest. He showed the others. "Cybus Industries, owners of just about every company in Britain, including Vitex. Mister Pete Tyler's very well connected" Rose looked at The Doctor with big eyes and a sweet smile, practically pleading to go see Pete. The Doctor sighed in defeat. "Oh, okay. I give up. Let's go and see him" He tossed the phone back to Rose.

* * *

The Doctor, Nova, Rose and Tate had found the Tyler residence. They were hiding in the bushes as they were watching a bunch of cars pull into the driveway. There was a party going on tonight. Rose knew what for. "They've got visitors" The Doctor commented.

"February the first. Mum's birthday" Rose added. "Even in a parallel universe, she still loves a party"

"Well, given Pete Tyler's guest list, I wouldn't mind a look" The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper. "And there is one guaranteed way of getting inside"

"Psychic paper!" Rose said with an excited bounce.

"Who do we all want to be?"

* * *

The Doctor and Rose were posing as staff, while Nova and Tate were to pose as guests. The Doctor and Rose were out on the floor, holding trays of hors d'oeuvres and champagne. Nova and Tate had yet to arrive so they were keeping an eye out for them. "We could have been anyone" Rose complained.

"Got us in, didn't it?' The Doctor retorted.

"You're in charge of the psychic paper. We could've been guests. Celebrities. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose. We end up serving. Did enough of this back home" Rose politely smiled at a guest that grabbed a treat off her tray.

"If you want to know what's going on, work in the kitchens" The Doctor smirked knowingly. " According to Lucy, that man over there--" He motioned towards a dark skinned man on the other side of the room.

"Who's Lucy?"

"She's carrying the salmon pinwheels" The Doctor nodded towards her.

"Oh, that's Lucy, is it?"

The Doctor ignored that comment and continued to share his information with Rose. "Lucy says, that is the President of Great Britain"

"What, there's a President, not a Prime Minister?"

"Seems so"

"Or maybe Lucy's just a bit thick" Rose began looking around the room again, hoping to catch sight of Nova or Tate. "What's taking them so long? Surely it doesn't take this long to find a dress" Rose waited for an answer from The Doctor, but it never came. She looked at him and noticed that he was staring at something. Or rather, someone. "Doctor?" Rose tried snapping her fingers in front of his eyes to get his attention. It didn't work. Instead, she followed his eyeline to see Nova wearing a beautiful sparkling blue dress. Her hair was out of its usual style and wound up in an updo with strands of hair let loose at the front, which framed her face perfectly. Rose smirked. "Ah, now is see what's got you so distracted"

"Rose, she's beautiful" The Doctor sighed dreamily. His lips then turned upwards into a smile. Nova looked around. When she looked in The Doctor's direction, she smiled at him and gave him a wave. He waved back at her.

* * *

Nova and Tate had finally arrived to the party. They were lucky they were able to find a shop that was still open to get a dress and a suit. Nova had picked out a beautiful blue dress, while Tate had stuck with a simple tuxedo. They linked arms as they approached the entrance to the Tyler residence. "So, who are we attending this party as?" Tate wondered.

"I'm not sure yet" Nova opened up the handbag she was holding. It contained her psychic paper and her sonic screwdriver. She pulled out the psychic paper. "But we're about to find out"

"Good evening" the security guard greeted as they approached the entrance. "May I see your invitations please?" Nova smiled politely as she handed the guard her psychic paper. The guard looked at it, his eyes widened and then suddenly he bowed to Nova. "I wasn't aware that Mr. Tyler was expecting royalty tonight"

"Royalty?" Tate whispered, only loud enough for Nova to hear, as he quirked an eyebrow.

The guard continued on. "Princess Michalina of Sokovia! It's a real honor to meet you" 

"Oh, thank you" Nova began, doing a perfect imitation of Wanda's accent. "And this is my plus one. My best and favorite servant, Florian" Nova motioned towards Tate.

Tate glared at her, but proceeded to play along. "I was very happy that her highness chose me to attend this party" He also spoke in a fake accent, sounding like Pietro Maximoff, Wanda's twin brother.

"Well, please, come on in" the guard insisted. Nova and Tate went inside.

"Servant?" Tate hissed at Nova once they were far away enough from the guard. "Really? And does Sokovia even have a princess?"

Nova shrugged. "I don't even think that guard knows where Sokovia is. He just saw Princess so-and-so of insert-country-here, and went with it"

"Alright, so we're in. Now what do we do?"

"Look for The Doctor and Rose. They're posing as staff" Nova began looking around the room. She could feel the presence of someone's eyes on her. She looked over and noticed The Doctor staring at her. She waved at him, and The Doctor waved back.

"Excuse me?" a man called out, garnering everyone's attention. The man stood on the staircase. That man was Pete Tyler. Everyone began to clap. The Doctor and Rose took the opportunity to go and stand beside Nova and Tate. "Thank you very much. If I could just have your attention, please?" After the cheering and clapping came to a hush, Pete continued. "Um, I'd just like to say thank you to you all, for coming on this, this very special occasion. My wife's thirty ninth"

Everyone laughed and a man even commented, "Don't believe that one"

"Trust me on this. And so, without any further ado, here she is, the birthday girl. My lovely wife, Jackie Tyler" Everyone started clapping as Jackie walked down the stairs. She was wearing a skin tight black dress and her hair was in an updo.

"Now, I'm not giving a speech. That's what my parties are famous for. No work, no politics, just a few good mates and plenty of black market whisky" Everyone laughed at Jackie's words. "Pardon me, Mister President. So, yeah, get on with it. Enjoy, enjoy"

Rose stared at Jackie and Pete as they walked by. The Doctor leaned in to remind her. "You can't stay. Even if there was some way of telling them"

"Course I can't" Rose agreed. "I've still got Mum at home. My real mum. I couldn't just leave her, could I. It's just, they've got each other. Mum's got no one"

"She's got you. Those two haven't. All these different worlds, not one of them gets it right"

"Rose!" Jackie suddenly called out. This, of course, made Rose look at the alternate-version of her mother. But when Jackie called out to Rose, she was calling out to her dog. "There's my little girl! Come to mummy, come to mummy!" Jackie picked up the dog. "Yes, good girl! Good girl, aren't you?"

Rose looked at The Doctor, and he burst into laughter. Nova glared at him, and smacked him in the arm. "Ow!" he yelped. He looked at Nova. "What was that for?" Nova motioned towards Rose, who was looking all sorts of hurt and conflicted. The Doctor looked back at Rose and realized what he had done. He apologized. "Sorry"

Rose gave a weak smile and then parted from The Doctor, Nova and Tate. Tate tried to go and follow after her, but Nova stopped him. "Tate, just leave her to her thoughts right now" she said.

All Tate did was nod in response. He then felt a tap on his shoulder. When Tate turned around to see who was tapping on his shoulder, he went wide eyed when he saw who it was. "S-sir, can I help you?"

The Doctor and Nova watched the man curiously. They noticed a couple of things about him. One, he wasn't wearing the earpieces like everybody else was. And two, he had a similar appearance to Tate. "Tate? Is that..." the man paused. "Is that really you?"

"I...er...don't know what you're talking about sir" Tate went back to using his fake Sokovian accent. "My name is Florian, and I am a loyal servant to Princess Michalina" Tate motioned towards Nova.

The man looked at Nova and furrowed his eyebrows. "Director Galvin, I wasn't expecting to see you here. And did you dye your hair?"

"I'm sorry?" Now Nova was confused. "How do you know my last name, why did you call me Director, and what do you mean I dyed my hair?"

"You can drop the act, Director. I don't know why you're even here. I'm here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D. At your request, might I add" the man told Nova. He then looked to Tate again. Tears started swelling in his eyes, and then he brought him into a hug. "But you... you died with your mum in that car crash, but somehow, you're here"

Tate dropped his fake accent and then wrapped his arms around the man. "It's me, dad"


	27. Rise of the Cybermen 5.4

Tate and his own father ended their hug. Tate had a wide smile and he turned to The Doctor and Nova. "Doctor, Nova, I'd like you to meet my father, Kenneth Peltzer" Tate introduced.

Kenneth held out his hand with a smile. "Pleasure to meet you both. Please, call me Ken" Ken shook The Doctor's hand, and then he shook Nova's hand. "Nova, is it?" Ken asked, to which Nova nodded. "You look an awful lot like my boss. You also have her name. The only difference between you two is the hair colour"

"It's, er, nice to meet you too, Ken" Nova said, side eyeing Tate. He's never mentioned his father. 

"Very nice meeting you, Ken" The Doctor started. It was starting to feel awkward so he excused himself. "I'm going to go find a laptop. Would you like to come with me, Supernova?" He offered but Nova shook her head.

"No, I think I'll stay" Nova answered. She smiled, looking between Tate and Ken. The two of them seemed so happy to see each other. "Get to know Ken, a little bit more"

"Alright. We'll meet up in about an hour, okay?" The Doctor said, looking between his love and his companion. The two of them nodded. The Doctor then went off, but not without leaving a kiss to Nova's forehead.

"Now," Nova began with a sigh. "I have questions. Why don't we find somewhere quiet?"

* * *

Rose watched as Jackie talked and laughed with the President. Pete came up to Rose. "I remember her twenty first" Rose looked at him. "Pint of cider in the George"

"Sorry. Champagne?" Rose offered as she held the tray in front of him.

"Oh, might as well. I'm paying for it" Pete and Rose both let out a laugh. Pete took a glass and took a sip from it.

"It's a big night for you"

"For her" Pete motioned towards Jackie. "Still, she's happy"

"She should be. It's a great party"

"Do you think?"

Rose held up a thumb and smiled, imitating Pete's ad. "You can trust me"

"You can trust me on this" Pete correctected her.

"That's it, sorry" The two of them laughed again. "So, how long have you two been married?"

"Twenty years"

"And no kids, or?"

"We kept putting it off. She said she didn't want to spoil her figure"

"It's not too late. She's only forty"

"Thirty nine"

"Oh, right. Thirty nine" They laughed again.

"It's still too late. I moved out last month, but we're going to keep it quiet. You know, it's bad for business" Pete was silent for a moment. He started to stare at Rose. "Why am I telling you all this? We haven't met before, have we? I don't know, you just seem sort of..."

"What?"

"I don't know. Just sort of right" Pete looked away from Rose, and across the room. Someone else caught his attention. "Stevie! How's things? How's it going at Torchwood?" Pete walked away.

* * *

Nova, Tate and Ken all sat outside. She had just finished explaining the circumstances to Ken. He was staring at the ground, trying to process all that he just heard. "So, you two, The Doctor, and this Rose girl are all from another universe?" He asked. He pointed at Nova. "And you and The Doctor are Time Lords, and you travel in something called a Tardis?"

"That's all true" Nova confirmed. "And Tate, I'd like to know what happened to your father in our universe? How come you've never mentioned him to me?"

"Mum was a drunk" Tate started. Ken went wide eyed, not wanting to believe what he was saying.

"Deborah? My Deborah? A drunk?" Ken muttered out. Then he shook his head. "No, that can't be right. She wouldn't even touch a glass of wine on New Years"

"Your Deborah wouldn't" Tate continued on. "But the other one, my mum, she had it bad. One day, you just got so fed up with her and her drinking that you left. You never even said goodbye! All you did was leave a letter!" Tate was becoming angry at him, even though this version of Ken did nothing wrong. "I never heard from you again! Why didn't you take me with you!?"

Nova had to step in between Tate and Ken. "Tate, calm down" she pleaded, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You shouldn't be getting mad at this Ken. He didn't do anything wrong. This Ken is not your father"

Tate calmed down, and nodded. "You're right" He looked over at Ken. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking it out on you. You didn't do anything"

"You don't need to apologize, son" Ken assured him.

"What happened to me in this universe?" Tate wondered. "You said something about a car crash..."

Ken sighed and tears started swelling in his eyes as he started to remember. "You and your mother died in a car crash. There was a drunk driver, he was going too fast on the wrong side of the road..."

"I'm so sorry that happened" 

Ken smiled at his son. "But at least now I know that there's an alternate version of you, and your mother. Even if she is..."

"Yeah" Tate said with a weak smile.

"Ken, what do you do in the universe anyways?" Nova asked, moving on from the upsetting subject.

"I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D agent" Ken explained. "I'm actually Director Galvin's second-in-command. Does S.H.I.E.L.D exist in your universe?"

"It does" Nova confirmed with a nod. "Except in our universe, the Director is a man named Nick Fury"

Ken smiled. "I think Director Galvin would be impressed with you. And not just because you're an alternate version of her. Well, somewhat of an alternate version. She's human. Not a Time Lady" 

Nova found it somewhat interesting that even in a parallel world, there was something that connected her and Tate together. 

* * *

Rose went out to the balcony where Jackie was standing. Rose approached her. "Mrs Tyler, is there anything I can get you?" Rose asked.

"The last twenty years back" Jackie responded.

"I can manage a glass of champagne or a nice cup of tea?"

"Oh, that'd do me"

Rose sat down next to Jackie. "My mum loves that. End of a long night she never goes straight to bed, she always stays up just to have that last cup of tea"

"Oh, I'm the same"

"Two sugars"

"And me. Pete always says, you know" Jackie paused and then shook her head. "Ah, never mind him"

"I was talking to him earlier. He's a nice man. You know, bit of a Jack the Lad, I suppose, even if he has got money, but he's a good bloke. Better than most. He's worth a second chance"

Jackie whipped her head to look at Rose, feeling offended. "Are you commenting on my marriage?"

"No, I was just--"

"Who the hell do you think you are? You're staff. You're nothing but staff. You're just the serving girl, for God's sake. And you are certainly not getting paid. Don't you dare talk to me" Jackie got up and went back inside. Suddenly, some flood lights came on which almost blinded Rose. Squinting her eyes, she looked in the direction of the lights and saw figures all marching in rows.

* * *

Rose went to find The Doctor, Nova and Tate. Rose and The Doctor met eyes across the room, and they both had the same worried look. They also found the other two. The Doctor grabbed Nova by the hand, while Rose grabbed Tate by the arm. They went over to a window. Ken followed after them. They looked out the window, only to see a bunch of metal men marching towards the house. Nova went wide eyed, as she knew exactly what they were.

"It's happening again" The Doctor said.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"I've seen them before"

"What are they?" Tate asked this time.

"Cybermen" both The Doctor and Nova answered. The Cybermen smashed through a series of windows. Everyone started to panic and scream. Other Cybermen marched through the house and surrounded all the guests. 

"Mister Lumic" the president spoke. 

"Mister President," Lumic spoke to the president through the earpieces. "I suppose a remark about crashing the party would be appropriate at this point" Lumic let out a laugh.

"I forbade this"

"These are my children, sir. Would you deny my family?"

"What are they?" Rose whispered to The Doctor. "Robots?"

"Worse than that" The Doctor replied.

The president continued on his conversation with Lumic. "Who were these people?"

"Doesn't matter" Lumic responded. 

"They're people?" Rose asked again. 

This time, Nova was the one to answer. "They were, until they had all their humanity taken away. That's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body, with a heart of steel. All emotions removed"

"Why no emotions?" Tate wondered.

"Because it hurts"

"I demand to know Lumic!" the president ordered. "These people, who were they?"

"They were homeless" Lumic explained. "And wretched and useless. I saved them, and elevated them, and gave them life eternal. And now I leave you in their capable hands. Goodnight, sir" 

A Cyberman stepped forward. "We have been upgraded" It said.

"Into what?" The Doctor demanded.

"The next level of mankind. We are Human point two. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us"

"I'm sorry" the president started. He approached the Cyberman. "I'm so sorry for what's been done to you, but listen to me. This experiment ends tonight"

"Upgrading is compulsory"

"And if I refuse?"

"Don't" The Doctor warned the president.

The president ignored him and continued to ask. "What if I refuse?"

"I'm telling you, don't"

"What happens if I refuse?" the president continued to challenge the Cyberman.

"Then you are not compatible" the Cyberman responded.

"What happens then?"

"You will be deleted" The Cyberman placed it's hand on the president's neck, and electrocuted him. The president fell dead to the ground. The Tardis team, along with Ken, made a run for it. Guests started to scream as they got grabbed and killed.

"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor stated. They jumped through one of the windows so that they were now outside. 

"My mum's in there!" Rose squealed. She stopped and stared into the house.

"She is not your mother! Come on!" They all started running again, but a row of marching Cybermen prevented them from crossing the lawn. So instead, they ran back the other way to go around the house. Pete had managed to jump out the window.

"Quick! Quick!" Rose urged Pete to follow them. He did just that.

They made it around to the other side of the house. "Pete, is there a way out?" The Doctor asked.

"The side gates. Who are you? How do you know so much?" Pete asked as they all started running for the gates.

"You wouldn't believe it in a million years!" They were once again cut off by Cybermen. When they turned around to run the other way, they noticed three figures in front of the headlights.

"Who's that?" Rose wondered.

"Get behind me!" A voice, sounding like Mickey's said. The Tardis team, Pete, and Ken ran behind the three figures who were now revealed. One was Ricky, the alternate version of Mickey, Jake, Ricky's right-hand man, and the last figure was a woman. She was dressed in a black skin tight bodysuit, with black boots and a long coat with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo adorned on one of the arms. Her dark brown hair was tied back with a ponytail, giving a good view of her face. This woman was Director Nova Galvin of S.H.I.E.L.D. The three of them started shooting at the Cybermen. The bullets just bounced off of them but eventually, the Cybermen came to a stop.

"Oh my God, look at you" Rose hugged Ricky, thinking that he was Mickey. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Ricky pushed Rose off of him. "Yeah. No offence, sweetheart, but who the hell are you?"

"Rose!" The real Mickey called out. He ran up and joined everyone. "That's not me. That's like the other one"

"Oh, as if things weren't bad enough, there's two Mickey's" The Doctor said. But that's not the thing the interested him at the moment. Instead, his eyes were settled on his Supernova's doppelganger.

"It's Ricky" Ricky corrected.

Director Galvin approached Ken. "Agent Peltzer, you were supposed to report to me if anything got out of hand!"

"Well, you're here now, aren't you Galvin?" Ken said. He looked between Ricky and Jake. "Who are these two? They aren't S.H.I.E.L.D"

"No, but they share the same interests as S.H.I.E.L.D" Director Galvin finally took notice of her doppelganger. She looked Nova up and down. "Well, Mickey was right about you. We do look exactly alike. With the exception of the hair, of course"

"Believe me," Nova said. "We're different in more ways than the hair"

"There's more of them" Mickey said as more Cybermen circled around them.

"We're surrounded" Rose said.

Ricky cocked his gun. "Put your guns down" The Doctor ordered. "Bullets won't stop them" Jake started shooting at them. The Doctor rushed over to Jake, and knocked the gun out of his hands. "No! Stop shooting, now. We surrender! Hands up" Everyone listened to The Doctor and put their hands up. "There's no need to damage us. We're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed"

"You are rogue elements" a Cyberman said.

"But we surrender!"

"You are incompatible"

"Didn't you hear what he said?" Nova countered. "He said we surrender!"

"You will be deleted"

"But we're surrendering!" The Doctor screamed in protest. "Listen to me, we surrender!"

"You are inferior" the Cyberman ignored him. "Man will be reborn as Cyberman, but you will perish under maximum deletion" The Cybermen held out their deadly arms and began marching closer to the group. "Delete. Delete. Delete!"


	28. The Age of Steel 6.1

The Doctor pointed the recharging Tardis power cell at the Cybermen. They all got sent backwards and they were then atomized by the golden energy. "What the hell was that?" Ricky asked.

"We'll have that instead! Run!" The Doctor screamed out. Everybody started running just as some more Cybermen started marching after them. Suddenly, a van pulled up and the woman driving it started honking. The van came to a stop.

"Everybody in!" Mrs. Moore, the woman driving, urged everyone.

Pete tried to make his way back to the house. "I've got to go back. My wife's in there" He tried reasoning. The Doctor stopped him.

"Anyone inside that house is dead. If you want to help, then don't let her die for nothing. You've got to come with us right now"

Pete listened to reason and followed after the others to the van. Moore continued to urge. "Come on! Get a move on!"

Rose stayed put, staring at the house. The Doctor noticed and approached her. "Rose, she's not your mother"

"I know" Rose said. Moore kept on honking. The Doctor and Rose made their way to the van.

"Finished chatting?" Moore quipped as soon as they got in the van. "Never seen a slower getaway in my life!" They drove off, leaving behind a parade of marching Cybermen.

* * *

Ricky, whom was sitting in the front of the van with Mrs. Moore, turned around in his seat and looked through the window that was there, looking at everyone in the back. He proceeded to question The Doctor. "What was that thing?" He was referring to the power cell.

"Little bit of technology from our home" The Doctor said, glancing over at Nova and flashing her a smile. The two of them were sitting together hand-in-hand. In his free hand, he was holding the power cell.

"It's stopped glowing. Has it run out?" Mickey asked.

"It's on a revitalising loop. It'll charge back up in about four hours" The Doctor stuffed the power cell into an inside pocket of his dress coat.

"Right" Ricky said. "So, we don't have a weapon anymore"

"Yeah, we've got weapons" Jake piped in. He was sitting in the front with Ricky and Moore. "Might not be one of those metal things, but they're good enough for men like him" Jake motioned towards Pete.

"Leave him alone!" Rose barked in Pete's defense. "What's he done wrong?"

"Oh, you know, just laid a trap that's wiped out the Government and left Lumic in charge"

"If I was part of all that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?" Pete countered.

"Maybe your plan went wrong" Ricky suggested. "Still gives us the right to execute you, though"

"Talk about executions, you'll make me your enemy" The Doctor warned. "And take some really good advice. You don't want to do that"

"That goes for me too" Nova spoke up. "And I really don't want to make enemies today"

"All the same," Ricky continued. "We have evidence that says Pete Tyler's been working for Lumic since twenty point five"

Rose turned her head and looked at Pete. "Is that true?" she asked.

Pete didn't answer, opting instead to look down at the ground. Ricky spoke up again. "Tell them, Mrs. M"

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information. Lumic's private files, his South American operations, the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week" Moore explained.

"That's where S.H.I.E.L.D comes in" Ken spoke up. "Some of our top hackers managed to intercept the broadcasts"

"Broadcasts from Gemini?" Pete asked.

"And how do you know that?" Ricky countered.

"I'm Gemini. That's me"

"Yeah, well you would say that"

"Encrypted wavelength six five seven using binary nine. That's the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services. What do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van"

"No, no, no. But the Preachers know what they're doing" Mickey backed up. "Ricky said he's London's Most Wanted"

"Yeah, that's not exactly..." Ricky trailed off.

"Not exactly what?"

"I'm London's Most Wanted for parking tickets"

"Great" Pete huffed incredulously.

"Yeah, they were deliberate. I was fighting the system. Park anywhere, that's me"

"Good policy. I do much the same. I'm the Doctor, by the way, if anyone's interested" The Doctor introduced himself. He pointed to the woman sitting next to him. "This is The Nightingale"

Nova smiled and waved. "Please, call me Nova"

"Nightingale" other-Nova hummed to herself. She looked up and smiled at her doppelganger. "That would make a good field name" Other-Nova looked at the boy sitting next to her. "And you're Tate, right?" She asked, to which he nodded. "Ken's son? He talks about you a lot"

"Well, I'm not this Ken's son" Tate clarified. "But yeah, that's me. Tate"

And then last but not least was Rose. "And I'm Rose. Hello"

"Even better. That's the name of my dog" Pete commented. "Still, at least I've got the catering staff on my side"

"I knew you weren't a traitor"

"Why is that, then?"

Rose hesitated to answer. Both The Doctor and Nova gave her a look. Then she came up with something to say. "I just did"

"They took my wife"

"She might still be alive"

"That's even worse. Because that's what Lumic does. He takes the living and he turns them into those machines"

"Cybermen" The Doctor corrected. Everyone turned to look at him. "They're called Cybermen. And I'd take those ear pods off, if I were you" Pete took off the earpods. He gave them to The Doctor, who had pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "You never know. Lumic could be listening" He zapped the earpods. "But he's overreached himself. He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities. Because I promise you, this ends tonight"

* * *

The van parked on a street and everyone got out. What everyone noticed right away was that everyone was walking around as if they were zombies. "What the hell?" Jake mused.

"What's going on?" Rose wondered.

"It's the ear-pods. Lumic's taken control" The Doctor explained.

"Can't we just, I don't know, take them off?" Rose reached over to try to take the earpods off of a person. The Doctor grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her away before she could.

"Don't! Cause a brainstorm. Human race. For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life"

"Hey" Jake called out. He and Ricky were standing near a concrete wall. "Come and see" He motioned for everyone else to join them. They did, and then they all peeked around the corner. There were more people and a squad of Cybermen.

"Where are they going?" Tate asked.

"Suppose Lumic's got a base of operations somewhere" Nova inquired, taking a glance over at Pete.

"Battersea" Pete confirmed with a nod. "That's where he was building his prototypes"

"Why's he doing it?" Rose questioned.

"He's dying. This all started out as a way of prolonging life, of keeping the brain alive at any cost"

"The thing is, I've seen Cybermen before, haven't I?" Rose looked to The Doctor. "The head. Those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum"

"Ah, there are Cybermen in our universe" The Doctor said. "They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy. This lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on Earth"

"Nova," Tate started, looking towards his friend. "Have you ever encountered Cybermen before?"

"Quite a few times, yes" Nova answered. "Be lucky that you weren't with me"

"What the hell are you four on about?" Pete asked.

"Never mind that. Come on, we need to get out of the city. Okay, split up" Ricky said. He started giving direction. "Mrs Moore, you look after that bloke. Jake, distract them. Go right, I'll go left. We'll meet back at Bridge Street. Move"

Mickey watched as Ricky and Jake left. He turned to Rose. "I'm going with him" He announced. He kissed Rose and then followed after Ricky.

"Come on, let's go" Moore urged everyone to start moving.

They all began running down the street until they saw a patrol of marching Cybermen. The Doctor pointed in the direction of a side street. "There!" They all turned to run down the side street.

* * *

Mickey and Ricky found themselves in an industrial unit. The both of them began muttering to each other (or perhaps themselves) at the same time. "Which way? I don't know where we are" Mickey said.

"Did they see us?" Ricky asked.

"Do they know where we are?"

"I think they saw us. I bet they can see in the dark"

"I bet they've got satellites"

"I bet they saw us in the dark"

"They know where we are" they both said at the same time.

Ricky looked over to Mickey. "I don't get it. What is it with you? You are exactly like me" he mentioned.

"I don't know, I reckon you're braver" Mickey admitted truthfully.

"Oh yeah, ten times. Still, your friends aren't bad. I'll give you that"

"Oh, that's the Doctor, Nova, Rose and Tate. I just tag along behind"

"Well, then, you're not that bad"

"Do you think?"

"Yeah, I suppose"

The clomping of Cybermen could be heard. Mickey craned his head behind himself so see some marching towards them. "Cybermen"

"Split up!" both Mickey and Ricky spoke at the same time again. The both of them ran off, splitting into different directions.


	29. The Age of Steel 6.2

A group of Cybermen marched down the alley. In that same alley, The Doctor, Nova, Tate, Rose, Pete, Ken, other-Nova, and Mrs.Moore were all hiding behind rubbish bins. Rose had both of her hands covering Pete's. The Cybermen came to a stop right in front of the bins they were hiding behind. The Doctor and Nova both used their sonic screwdrivers to transmit a signal. The Cybermen marched on. Everyone stood up and watched as they disappeared. "Go!" The Doctor urged everyone with a quiet whisper. They all ran off in the direction opposite of the Cybermen.

* * *

Ricky and Mickey both continued to run through the industrial unit. Unfortunately, Ricky kept on getting cornered by Cybermen. They eventually met up on opposite ends of a chain-link fence. The Cybermen were on the same side of the fence as Ricky.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Mickey urged Ricky to start climbing the fence. Ricky did, but unfortunately, a Cyberman grabbed his ankle and electrocuted him. Ricky fell dead to the ground. Mickey glanced at Ricky's body, and then he looked up at the Cybermen. They stared at each other in silence before Mickey finally ran off.

* * *

Jake met up with the others in an empty street. "I ran past the river. You should have seen it" Jake began to explain. "The whole city's on the march. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Thames" Mickey ran up to them. Jake looked at him. "Here he is! Which one are you?"

"I'm sorry" Mickey muttered out an apology. "The Cybermen. He couldn't"

"Are you Ricky? Are you Ricky?"

"Mickey, that's you, isn't it?" Rose asked.

"Yeah" Rose pulled Mickey into a hug. After Rose let him go, Tate hugged him as well. Mickey then looked to Jake, wanting to explain what happened. "He tried. He was running. There was too many of them"

"Shut it!" Jake said.

"There was nothing I could do"

"I said just shut it. Don't even talk about him. You're nothing, you are. Nothing"

"We can mourn him when London is safe" The Doctor promised. "But now, we move on"

* * *

The group had moved to a waste ground that was opposite the Battersea Power Station. "The whole of London's been sealed off, and the entire population's been taken inside that place. To be converted" The Doctor said.

"We've got to get in there and shut it down" Rose said.

"How do we do that?" Mickey wondered.

"Oh, we'll think of something" The Doctor said, taking Nova's hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

"You're just making this up as you go along"

"Yep. But I do it brilliantly" This caused to Nova to smile and look up at him.

"That you do, my dear Doctor" she added.

Mrs. Moore had joined them all with her laptop in hand. She took a seat on the picnic table that was there and everyone crowded around her. She brought up a schematic. "That's a schematic of the old factory. Look. Cooling tunnels underneath the plant. Big enough to walk through"

"We go under there and up into the control centre?" the Doctor asked. Mrs. Moore responded with a nod.

"There's another way in" Pete spoke up. Everyone looked at him. "Through the front door. If they've taken Jackie for upgrading, that's how she'll get in"

"We can't just go strolling up" Jake said.

"Or we could, with these" Moore countered. She reached into her bag and pulled out some earpods. She had four sets with her. The Doctor took two sets, and Nova took the other two. "Fake earpods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd"

"Then that's my job" 

"You'd have to show no emotion. None at all. Any sign of emotion would give you away" The Doctor warned.

"How many of those you got?" Rose asked.

"Just these four" Moore explained. 

"Okay" She got up and walked over to Pete. "If that's the best way of finding Jackie, then I'm coming with you"

"Why does she matter to you?" Pete interrogated.

"We haven't got time. Doctor, I'm going with him, and that's that"

"No stopping you, is there?" The Doctor asked.

"No" Rose replied with a shake of her head.

Ken took the other two pairs of earpods from Nova. He gave one of the sets to Tate. "I suppose Tate and I will go with Pete and Rose then"

"I'm down with that" Tate stated. He looked to Nova for approval. "If it's alright with you, that is?"

"Tell you what," The Doctor started. He threw the other earpods over to Rose. "We can take the ear pods at the same time. Give people their minds back so they don't walk into that place like sheep. Jakey-boy?" The Doctor led Jake over to the river and they overlooked the power station. "Lumic's transmitting the control signal. It must be from over there" He waved his sonic screwdriver in the direction of the power station. A zeppelin was parked on top of it. A circle of red lights blinked on it's sturn. "There it is. On the zeppelin, you see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes showing off. Reckon you could take it out?"

"Consider it done" Jake agreed.

The Doctor walked back over to Mrs. Moore. He grabbed Nova's hand as he walked by her. "Mrs Moore, would you care to accompany me and my Supernova into the cooling tunnels?"

"How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?" Moore said.

"We attack on three sides. Above, between, below. We get to the control centre, we stop the conversion machines"

"What about me?" Mickey asked.

"Mickey. You can..."

"What, stay out of trouble? Be the tin dog? No, those days are over. I'm going with Jake" Mickey walked over to stand with him.

"I don't need you, idiot" Jake protested at Mickey's tagging along with him.

Nova narrowed her eyes at Jake. She let go of The Doctor's hand and marched over to him. "Mickey Smith is not an idiot!" she defended.

"She's right. I'm not an idiot!" Mickey said. "You got that? I'm offering to help"

"Whatever" Jake huffed.

"Doctor," Nova started, turning to look at him. "If you don't mind, I think I'll go with Jake and Mickey as well. Why don't you take the other me instead?" Nova looked to her brunette doppelganger.

"Works with me" other-Nova said. She stepped forward, joining Mrs. Moore and The Doctor. "If that's alright with you?"

"I suppose" The Doctor nodded in approval, although feeling slight disappointment that his Nova wasn't going with him. Jake, Mickey and Nova began to walk off. "Mickey, Supernova!" The two of them stopped walking and looked back at The Doctor. "Good luck"

"Yeah, you too" Mickey said. "Rose, Tate, we'll see you later"

"Yeah, you'd better" Rose said.

"What she said" Tate added.

"If we survive this, I'll see you both back at the Tardis" The Doctor said.

"That's a promise" Mickey said. He started walking after Jake again, but Nova stayed put for a moment with her eyes glued on The Doctor. Mickey stopped again to whisper in her ear. "Go on," he urged her. "I'll wait for you"

Nova ran to The Doctor and leaped into his arms. They held onto each other tightly, not wanting to let each other go. "When this is all over, I'll take you on a special trip, just you and I" The Doctor spoke into her ear.

"Promise me?" 

"I promise"

The Doctor and Nova ended their embrace. She then received hugs from both Tate and Rose who muttered quick good lucks to her. Nova then ran back over to Mickey and the two of them walked off, following after Jake.

* * *

The Doctor, Mrs. Moore, and other-Nova made their way into the cooling tunnels. They climbed down the ladder and planted their feet on the ground. "It's freezing" Moore commented. "Any sign of a light switch? see a thing. But I've got these" She took out a couple of headbands that had a light on them. She gave one to The Doctor, and one to other-Nova. "A device for every occasion"

"Ooh!" The Doctor fawned over it.  
"Put it on" The Doctor and other-Nova followed Moore's instructions and put on the headband. Mrs. Moore also put one on.

"Haven't got a hotdog in there, have you? I'm starving"

"Now that you mention it, I am too" other-Nova agreed with The Doctor.

Moore let out a chuckle. "Of all the things to wish for. That's mechanically recovered meat"

"I know. It's the Cyberman of food, but it's tasty"

Other-Nova grew a small smile, and she looked at The Doctor. She could see why the other her liked him so much. It was a shame that a Doctor didn't exist in her own universe. Moore pulled something else out of her bag and gave it to The Doctor. It was a flashlight "A proper torch as well"

"Let's see where we are" The Doctor turned on the flashlight. It immediately shined upon a Cyberman. There were Cybermen ranged along the walls on both sides of the tunnel. "Already converted, just put on ice. Come on" The three of them started moving forward, only coming to a stop to inspect one of the Cybermen. The Doctor tapped on the Cyberman's face. He received no reaction from it. He then shined the light on some other Cybermen. "Let's go slowly" They began moving again. The Doctor shined the light on every face of the Cybermen they passed. "Keep an eye out for trip systems"


	30. The Age of Steel 6.3

Rose, Pete, Tate and Ken made it to the Battersea Power Station. There were Cybermen everywhere so they did their best to keep out of sight. The Cybermen were escorting people inside the power station. "Just put them on" Pete said. He reached into his pocket and got out the earbuds. "Don't show any emotion. No signs, nothing. Okay?"

"Luckily I've had S.H.I.E.L.D training for this sort of thing" Ken mentioned. He looked to Tate. "What about you, son? You're looking a little nervous"

Tate took a deep breath and then let it out in a sigh. "I can do this" He looked to Rose. "Right? We can do this?"

Rose gave him a smile of comfort. "Don't worry. We can do this" They all put the earpods in.

"We could die in here. Why are you doing this?" Pete asked Rose.

"Let's just say I'm doing it for my mum and dad. Right, let's go" The four of them left their hiding spot and they joined the procession.

* * *

Jake, Nova and Mickey made it to the roof of the power station. Jake climbed the ladder first to take a look. There were two guards. He set foot on the roof first, and then Nova and Mickey followed. They hid out of sight from the guards. "Two guards. We can take them" Jake said.

"We're not killing them" Nova protested.

"Who put you in charge, blondie?"

"First of all, she's the Nightingale" Mickey spoke up in Nova's defence. "If any of us should be in charge, it should be her. Second, if you kill them, what's the difference between you and the Cybermen?"

Nova smiled proudly at Mickey, and gave him a pat on the back. "That's my Mickey"

"I suppose we could use these" Jake suggested. He handed a bottle to Nova. She inspected it closely, as did Mickey.

"Smelling salts?" Mickey wondered.

"Bit stronger than that. One of Mrs Moore's little tricks. Should knock them out"

"I like it" Nova voiced her approval. She gave the bottle over to Mickey. "I'll let you do the honours, Mickey. Jake, on your count"

Jake began to count. "Three, two, one" They ran out from their cover and ran up to the two guards. Jake got behind one guard and Mickey went up behind the other. They held the bottles up to the guards' noses, and they both collapsed from the vapors. 

"There's got to be more guards on board" Mickey realized.

"Then let's go get them" Jake said. They began climbing the stairs that led up into the zeppelin.

* * *

The Doctor, Mrs. Moore, and other-Nova were still walking along in the cooling tunnels. "How did you get into this, then, rattling along with the Preachers?" The Doctor asked Moore.

Moore began to explain. "Oh, I used to be ordinary. Worked at Cybus Industries, nine to five, till one day, I find something I'm not supposed to. A file on the mainframe. All I did was read it. Then suddenly I've got men with guns knocking in the middle of the night. Life on the run. Then I found the Preachers. They needed a techie, so I, I just sat down and taught myself everything"

"What about Mr. Moore?"

"Well, he's not called Moore. I got that from a book, Mrs Moore. It's safer not to use real names. But he thinks I'm dead. It was the only way to keep him safe. Him and the kids. What about you? Got any family, or?"

"Oh, who needs family? I've got the whole world on my shoulders"

"You aren't married to the other me?" other-Nova asked. The Doctor looked at her, with the slightest amused smile on his face. "I mean, you two act like it"

"We aren't married, no" The Doctor said, before admitting truthfully. "I wouldn't mind if we were though"

Other-Nova smiled at him. "And this other me? Does she have a family?"

"Her family is rather complicated. She's got children that she was forced to forget about"

Other-Nova's smile dropped and her heart broke at the news. "That's awful. Who would make you forget about your own children?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Like I said, her family is complicated. She doesn't even know that I know about her family" The Doctor directed another question at Mrs. Moore. "Go on, then. What's your real name?"

"Angela Price. Don't tell a soul" Moore said.

"Not a word" Unbeknownst to them, the moment that they had walked by one of the Cybermen, it activated. Mrs. Moore was quick to catch on to a Cyberman in front of them moving it's arm.

"Doctor, did that one just move?" Moore shined a light on the Cyberman.

"It's just the torchlight. Keep going, come on" Another Cyberman near them moved. "They're waking up. Run!" They ran along the row. The row, in turn, fell in behind them and then began to follow after them. The Doctor, Moore, and other-Nova got to a ladder at the end of the tunnel.

"Get up! Quick! They're coming! Open it! Open it!" Moore urged frantically. The Doctor managed to open the trapdoor. They managed to beat the Cybermen up the ladder, and then closed the trapdoor again. The Doctor sealed it with his sonic screwdriver. 

"Oh, good team, Mrs Moore, and Director Nova Galvin of S.H.I.E.L.D" The Doctor said.

* * *

Rose, Pete, Tate and Ken made it inside the powerstation. One of the Cybermen stopped the procession at Rose. Pete was just behind her, followed by Tate, and then Ken. "You will wait" the Cyberman told Rose.

"You okay?" Pete asked Rose.

"No" Rose admitted.

"How about you two?" Pete asked Tate and Ken.

"I'm gonna have to agree with Rose on this one" Tate said.

"We'll be alright, son" Ken assured him.

"Chamber six now open for human upgrading. All reject stock will be incinerated" a Cyberman's voice announced. A woman walked into the chamber. The whirring sound of multiple blades could be heard. When she walked out, she was a Cyberman.

"Any sign of Jackie?" Pete asked. A Cyberman clomped up to them.

"You are Peter Tyler" the Cyberman said. "Confirm you are Peter Tyler"

"Confirmed"

"I recognise you. I went first. My name was Jacqueline Tyler"

"No" Rose gasped.

"What?" Pete asked, horrified.

"They are unprogrammed. Restrain" the Cyberman ordered. 

"If you restrain them, you'll have to restrain us too!" Tate spoke up, stepping forward so he was wedged in between Rose and Pete.

"He's right" Ken also stepped forward. He placed a hand on Tate's shoulder. "Restrain us as well" Four Cybermen came up and restrained Rose, Pete, Tate and Ken.

"You're lying. You're not her. You're not my Jackie!" Pete cried.

"No, I am Cyber-form. Once I was Jacqueline Tyler" the Cyberman explained.

"But you can't be" Rose said.

"Her brain is inside this body"

"Jacs, I came to save you" Pete said.

"This man worked with Cybus Industries to create our species. He will be rewarded by force. Take them to Cyber Control" The four of them were escorted away.

"They killed her" Rose said. "They took her and killed her"

"Maybe there's a chance, I don't know. Maybe we can reverse it" Pete suggested.

"There's nothing we can do"

"But if, if she remembers" Pete looked behind him. He was trying to see if he could find the Jackie-Cyberman, but there was a group of Cybermen instead. "Where is she? Which one was it? Which one was her?"

"They all look the same"

* * *

Nova, Mickey and Jake dumped another guard on the floor inside of Lumic's zeppelin. "Nice one. Nobody's home. Find the transmitter controls" Jake said.

"What do they look like?" Mickey asked.

"Well, I don't know. They might have Transmitter Controls written in big red letters. Just look!" They all began looking around the zeppelin. Nova had her sonic screwdriver out and began scanning everything she could. Mickey jumped in fright when he saw a Cyberman. "Cyberman!" Jake announced as he pointed his gun at it. The Cyberman wasn't moving. Jake turned on the alcove light. Nova scanned the Cyberman with her sonic screwdriver.

"It's dead" Nova explained. "It was never alive"

Mickey knocked on the Cyberman's head. "It's empty. No brain. It's just a robot suit. It's for display"

"Okay" Jake said. "Transmitter"

* * *

The Doctor, Mrs. Moore, and other-Nova found themselves in a corridor. They also came face-to-face with a Cyberman. "You are not upgraded" It said to them.

"Yeah? Well, upgrade this" Moore challenged. She threw a small rod wrapped in copper wire at the Cyberman. It stuck to the Cyberman and it jerked, sparked, and then collapsed.

"What the hell was that thing?" The Doctor asked, impressed at Moore's gadget.

"Electromagnetic bomb. Takes out computers, I figured it might stop the cyber-suit"

"You figured right. Now, let's have a look. Know your enemy" The three of them kneeled beside the fallen Cyberman. The Doctor got out his sonic screwdriver and scanned around the logo plated on the Cyberman's chest. "A logo on the front. Lumic's turned them into a brand" He took off the logo. "Heart of steel, but look" He picked up something white and stringy.

"That's flesh, isn't it?" other-Nova asked.

"Hmmm. Central nervous system. Artificially grown then threaded throughout the suit so it responds like a living thing. Well, it is a living thing. Oh, but look. Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything"

"Why?" 

"It's still got a human brain. Imagine its reaction if it could see itself, realise itself inside this thing. They'd go insane"

"So they cut out the one thing that makes them human" Moore said.

"Because they have to"

"Why am I cold?" the Cyberman asked.

"Oh, my God. It's alive. It can feel" Moore stated.

"We broke the inhibitor. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" The Doctor apologized to the Cyberman.

"Why so cold?" the Cyberman asked again.

"Can you remember your name?"

"Sally. Sally Phelan"

"You were a woman?" other-Nova asked in surprise, raising her eyebrows at the Cyberman.

"Where's Gareth?"

"Who's Gareth?"

"He can't see me. It's unlucky the night before"

A tear slipped from other-Nova's eye, and it landed on the Cyberman with a splash. "You're getting married"

"I'm cold. I'm so cold"

"It's all right" the Doctor comforted the Cyberman. "You sleep now, Sally. Just go to sleep" He used the sonic screwdriver on its chest cavity and switched it off. "Sally Phelan didn't die for nothing, because that's the key. The emotional inhibitor. If we could find the code behind it, the cancellation code, then feed it throughout the system into every Cyberman's head, they'd realise what they are"

"And what happens then?" Moore asked.

"I think it would kill them. Could we do that?"

"We've got to. Before they kill everyone else" The look on The Doctor's face said that he didn't really want to. "There's no choice, Doctor. It's got to be done" Mrs. Moore stood up, only to be touched and electrocuted by a Cyberman. The Doctor and other-Nova stood up. Other-Nova was grabbed by The Doctor. He protectively pulled her behind him.

"No! No, you didn't have to kill her!" The Doctor screamed at the Cyberman.

"Sensors detect a binary vascular system. You are an unknown upgrade. You will be taken for analysis" the Cyberman said. Two more Cybermen surrounded them. The Doctor and other-Nova reluctantly followed the Cybermen.

* * *

"The transmitter controls are sealed behind here" Mickey said, referring to the box they were standing in front of. "We need like an oxyacetylene or something"

"Oh, and I forgot to bring it with me" Jake sassed.

Nova glared her eyes at him. "Not the time for your sarcasm, Jakey boy"

"Well then, what do we do?" Mickey wondered.

"We'll crash the zeppelin" Jake suggested.

"With us inside it?"

"Jake's onto something" Nova agreed with the blonde boy. "We could set it to automatic---"

"And just leg it" Jake finished for her. "Let's have a look" They went over to the keyboard that had all the steering controls. Jake tried typing. "It's locked. There's got to be an override"

"Let me have a go" Mickey said, shoving Jake out of the way. He began typing on the keyboard. " "I'm good with computers. Trust me"

"He really is!" Nova vouched with a smile.

As Mickey began to work, a red light on the back of the keyboard began to blink. A light in the alcove with the Cyberman also began to blink.

* * *

The Cybermen led The Doctor and other-Nova into a control room. Rose, Pete, Tate, and Ken were also in the control room. "I've been captured, but don't worry, Rose and Pete, and Tate and Ken are still out there. They can rescue me" The Doctor said as he approached them. "Oh well, never mind. You okay?"

"Yeah. But they got Jackie" Rose said.

"We were too late. Lumic killed her" Pete explained.

"Then where is he, the famous Mister Lumic? Don't we get the chance to meet our Lord and Master?" The Doctor asked the Cybermen.

"He has been upgraded" a Cyberman answered.

"So he's just like you?"

"He is superior. The Lumic Unit has been designated Cyber Controller" A door opened and a Cyberman in an upgraded wheelchair was wheeled out. 

"This is The Age of Steel and I am its Creator" the Cyber-Lumic said.


	31. The Age of Steel 6.4

Mickey was just about hacked into the transmitter controls. "Almost there" he said.

"Not bad work" Jake commented. The Cyberman behind them flexed it's hand and started moving towards them. Jake turned around. "It's moving! You said it was dead!"

"My sonic said it was dead" Nova sassed. "Must have been a bad reading then"

"A robot's still a big robot" Mickey said. The three of them backed up as the Cyberman marched towards the window. "Wait a minute. Hey, Cyberman, over here. Come on, you brainless lump of metal. Come and have a go!" Mickey lured the Cyberman over, and it began marching towards them. The Cyberman swung it's arm and Mickey ducked out of the way. The Cyberman smashed it's fist into the transmitter control panel, and electrocuted itself.

"Mickey! You did it!" Nova cheered as she pulled him into a hug. "See? You're not useless! You're incredibly clever!"

"Thanks, Nova" When their hug ended, Mickey went back to typing. "Hold on, I've logged on to Cyber Control" The monitor showed that their friends were safe. "They're alive! The Doctor, Rose, and Tate, there they are!"

"Never mind them. What the hell is that thing?" Jake asked, referring to Cyber-Lumic.

"Shh!" Nova hushed Jake, touching a finger to his lips. "Mickey, can you get some sound?" Mickey did what she asked and brought up sound just in time to hear Cyber-Lumic say.

"I will bring peace to the world. Everlasting peace"

* * *

In the control room, the screams of people could be heard. Their earpods were deactivated. "That's my friends at work. Good boys! And, of course, my Supernova. Mister Lumic, I think that's a vote for free will" The Doctor said, clicking his tongue with a wink.

"I have factories waiting on seven continents. If the ear pods have failed, then the Cybermen will take humanity by force. London has fallen. So shall the world" Cyber-Lumic said. "I will bring peace to the world. Everlasting peace. And unity and uniformity"

"And imagination? What about that? The one thing that lead you here, imagination, you're killing it dead!" 

"What is your name?"

"I'm the Doctor"

"A redundant title. Doctors need not exist. Cybermen never sicken"

"Yeah, but that's it. That's exactly the point! Oh, Lumic, you're a clever man. I'd call you a genius, except I'm in the room. But everything you've invented, you did to fight your sickness. And that's brilliant. That is so human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there to strive for, eh? The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stop. You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts, lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive. People. Ordinary, stupid, brilliant people"

"You are proud of your emotions"

"Oh, yes"

"Then tell me, Doctor. Have you known grief, and rage, and pain?"

"Yes. Yes I have"

"And they hurt?"

"Oh, yes"

"I could set you free. Would you not want that? A life without pain?"

"You might as well kill me"

"Then I take that option"

"It's not yours to take. You're a Cyber Controller. You don't control me or anything with blood in its heart"

"You have no means of stopping me. I have an army. A species of my own"

The Doctor put his hand to his face and shook his head. "You just don't get it, do you? An army's nothing. Because those ordinary people, they're the key. The most ordinary person could change the world" He looked up at the camera. He knew that Nova, Mickey and Jake were watching. Though, his words were mostly directed at Mickey. 

"Some ordinary man or woman, some idiot. All it takes is for him to find, say, the right numbers. Say the right codes. Say, for example, the code behind the emotional inhibitor. The code right in front of him. Because even an idiot knows how to use computers these days. Knows how to get past firewalls and passwords. Knows how to find something encrypted in the Lumic Family Database, under er. What was it, Pete? Binary what?"

"Binary nine" Pete answered.

In the zeppelin, Mickey had continued typing. The Doctor continued droning on. "An idiot could find that code. Cancellation code. And he'd keep on typing. Keep on fighting. Anything to save his friends"

"Your words are irrelevant" Cyber-Lumic said.

"Yeah, talk too much, that's my problem. Lucky I got you that cheap tariff, Rose, for all our long chats. On your phone" The Doctor made a telephone motioned at the camera. The numbers 6879760 appeared on the monitor in the zeppelin. Mickey took out his cellphone. His older one, that is. 

"You will be deleted"

"Yes. Delete, control, hash. All those lovely buttons. Then, of course, my particular favourite, send" The Doctor made another motion to the camera. Mickey typed the numbers on his phone and then pressed the send button. "And let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place" Rose's phone beeped. She looked at it to see that the code had arrived as a text. "By making every bit of technology compatible with everything else"

"It's for you" Rose said, throwing her phone to The Doctor.

The Doctor caught it. "Like this" He said before putting the phone into a docking station. The code was transmitted, making all the Cybermen cry out in pain. The code appeared on every computer screen in the room. All of the Cybermen were clutching their heads. One was even looking at itself in a shiny piece of metal. The Doctor noticed. "I'm sorry"

"What have you done?" Cyber-Lumic demanded.

"I gave them back their souls. They can see what you've done, Lumic, and it's killing them!" The Doctor grabbed Rose's phone before he, Rose, Tate, Pete, Ken, and other-Nova ran out. Things around them started exploding. They tried the emergency exit but it was blocked by writhing Cybermen. More explosions and a fire broke out. "There's no way out!"

* * *

Jake was spinning the zeppelin wheel. "What are you doing?" Mickey asked of him.

"We've got to get away. If that factory blows up, this balloon's going to ignite" Jake reasoned.

"Take it back!"

"Mickey, they've had it!"

"I said, take it back! We're not leaving them behind. There's no way we're leaving them behind!" Jake and Mickey fought over the wheel, with Mickey winning control over it. He turned the zeppelin around. He returned the zeppelin to the roof. Mickey gave Jake his phone to hold by his ear. "Hold it! Rose? Rose, can you hear me? Head for the roof!"

* * *

Rose's phone rang so she answered it. She was relieved when she heard Mickey's voice. He told her to head for the roof. Keeping on the call with him, she turned to face the others. "It's Mickey. He says head for the roof" she explained. They all began running up the metal staircase, eventually making it up to the roof. They all saw the zeppelin overhead. Rose put her phone back up to her ear "Mickey, where'd you learn to fly that thing?"

"Playstation. Just hold on, Rose. I'm coming to get you" Mickey responded. Jake hung up the phone.

"You can't go any lower!" Jake protested.

"Well he's got to try, hasn't he!" Nova retorted.

"You're going to crush them"

"There's got to be something. There's got to be. Oh, yes" Mickey grinned when he saw an emergency lever. He pulled it and a trap door opened up. A rope ladder fell out.

"You've got to be kidding!?" Pete exclaimed once he saw the ladder.

"Rose, get up!" The Doctor urged. Rose got on the ladder the same time Nova came into view through the trap door.

"Nova!" Rose exclaimed her name with relief. She began climbing up the ladder. "I'm glad to see you!"

"The feeling's mutual, Rose" Nova said. Luckily, the rope was big enough to fit everybody. Everybody started climbing up the ladder.

"Hold on tight, we're going up! Welcome to Mickey Smith's Airline. Please enjoy your flight" Mickey said, pulling a lever. The zeppelin began rising into the air.

"We did it! We did it!" Rose squealed in triumph. That moment of triumph quickly vanished, however, when something heavy tugged at the rope, making everyone's grip loosen. It was Cyber-Lumic.

"Are you kidding me!?" Tate muttered in frustration. The Doctor got out his sonic screwdriver.

"Pete! Take this!" The Doctor gave Pete his sonic screwdriver, since he was the last one to start climbing the rope. "Use it! Hold the button down! Press it against the rope. Just do it!"

"Jackie Tyler. This is for her!" Pete declared. He used the sonic against the rope. The rope finally gave way and Cyber-Lumic fell. He was engulfed by the exploding power station.

* * *

Everyone was back on Lambeth Pier. Everyone was inside the Tardis, except for Rose and Pete. The Doctor was putting the power cell back in. Mickey was with Jake looking for The Doctor's suit, while Tate was looking for Nova's clothes with Ken. Nova decided to give her other-self a tour. When they stepped inside, other-Nova's eyes widened.

"It's bigger on the inside!" she marveled.

"Really?" A playful smile appeared on Nova's face. "I hadn't noticed"

"So, you and The Doctor, Rose, Tate, and Mickey, get to travel in this?"

"We sure do"

"What kind of places have you been? Where can you go?"

"Anywhere in space and time" Nova answered with a smile. There was a moment of silence before Nova felt the need to ask. "Director Galvin," the other-Nova looked at her. "Do you, by any chance, have a sister?"

"I do" Other-Nova answered with a smile. "Her name is Gabriella. We're very close. Are you close with your sister?"

Nova gave a small smile. "How did you know I have a sister?"

"You wouldn't have asked me if I had one if you didn't"

Nova let out a sigh. "Yes, but I haven't seen her in a very long time. Me and her...we used to be close...but now...I don't even know if she's still alive" Other-Nova placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Any other family you got?"

A sad smile appeared on other-Nova's face. "Our parents were assassinated when we were very young. Peggy Carter took us in and raised us"

Nova's eyes lit up. "Peggy Carter exists in your world?"

"She does. I'm guessing she exists in your world too?"

"Believe me, she does" Nova said as she nodded her head. "But it would be hard to explain. One more question. Is there someone special in your life?"

"Do I have my own Doctor?" other-Nova asked with a smirk, making her doppelganger blush. "No, but I wish I did"

"Well, who knows" Nova gave her doppelganger a pat on the shoulder. "Maybe someday, you'll find your own Doctor"

* * *

Ken was helping Tate search for Nova's clothes. "Son," Ken spoke suddenly, making Tate look at him. "You could stay with me, y'know"

"Dad," Tate went speechless. He didn't know how to respond to that. "I..."

Ken laughed as he shook his head. "But it's rather selfish of me to ask. You have your own life back in your own world. You've still got your mother, and I'm still alive in your world"

Tate sighed. "But I haven't seen you since you left, and mum is---"

Ken cut his son off. "She made some mistakes. If you don't forgive her for those mistakes now, you may never get the chance to again. She was taken away from me too soon. At least you still have her"

"I suppose you're right"

"And as for the other me," Ken started, placing a hand on Tate's shoulder. "Hunt me down. Look in every phone book. Search my name on the internet. Call me. Go see me. I would love it if you stopped by"

A small grin grew on Tate's face. "Thanks, dad"

Ken pulled Tate into a hug. "I miss you so much, son. I know you can't stay with me, but at least I got the chance to see you again" They ended their hug. "And one more thing. I see the way you look at Rose. Tell her how you feel"

Tate nodded. "I will, dad"

* * *

Rose and Pete were walking the pier. "So, what happens inside that thing, then?" Pete asked, nodding towards the Tardis.

"Do you want to see?" Rose offered.

"No, I don't think so. But you four, you know, all that stuff you said about different worlds. Who are you?

"It's like you say. Imagine there are different worlds, parallel worlds. Worlds with another Pete Tyler and Jackie Tyler's still alive, and their daughter"

"I've got to go" 

"But if you just look inside"

"No, I can't. There's all those Lumic factories out there. All those Cybermen still in storage. Someone's got to tell the authorities what happened, carry on the fight..."

The Doctor and Nova both came out of the Tardis. "Rose? I've only got five minutes of power. We've got to go" The Doctor informed as the two Time Lords approached Rose and Pete.

"The Doctor and Nova could show you" Rose offered to Pete.

"Thank you. For everything" Pete said.

"Dad"

"Don't. Just, just don't" Pete left.

Everyone else came out of the Tardis. Mickey had The Doctor's while Tate had Nova's outfit. "Here it is. I found it. Not a crease" Mickey said.

"Goes for you too, Nova" Tate said.

"My suit! Good man" The Doctor cheered.

"And my blouse, and skirt!" Nova said.

"Now then, Jake, we've got to run. But one more thing. Mrs Moore. Her real name was Angela Price. She's got a husband out there, and children. Find them. Tell them how she died saving the world"

"Yeah, course I will" Jake said.

The Doctor looked between other-Nova and Ken. "And you two, keep up the good work with S.H.I.E.L.D. The world needs you now more than ever"

"We will, Doctor" Ken said, shaking his hand. "You can count on that"

The Doctor was about to shake other-Nova's hand when she pulled him into a hug instead. "I'm gonna miss you, Doctor. And don't be afraid to tell her how you feel"

"I'll tell her" The Doctor promised her, before pulling away from other-Nova. He faced the Tardis team. "Off we go then?" 

"Er, thing is, I'm staying" Mickey admitted.

"You're doing what?"

"You can't" Rose protested.

"It sort of balances out, because this world lost its Ricky, but there's me. And there's work to be done with all those Cybermen still out there" Mickey said.

"But you can't stay"

"Rose, my gran's here. She's still alive. My old gran, remember her?"

"Yeah"

"She needs me"

"What about me? What if I need you?" Rose began to cry.

"Yeah, but Rose, you don't. It's just you and him," Mickey looked to The Doctor. "And Nova and Tate, isn't it. We had something a long time ago, but not anymore"

"Well, we'll come back. We can travel anywhere. Come and see you, yeah?"

"We can't. I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. We only got here by accident. We, we fell through a crack in time. When we leave, I've got to close it. We can't ever return" The Doctor explained.

"Doctor" Mickey held out his hand.

The Doctor shook Mickey's hand. "Take Rose's phone. It's got the code. Get it out there. Stop those factories. And good luck, Mickey the idiot"

"Watch it" Mickey grinned at him. 

"Oh, Mickey" Nova said, bringing him into a hug. "I'm gonna miss you. You're absolutely brilliant. Never forget that"

"Thanks Nova. Good luck with finding the stones. I know you can do it" 

Finally, it was Tate's turn to say goodbye to Mickey. The two boys hugged each other. "You're one of my best friends, Mickey. Never forget that"

"I won't, Tate. And take care of Rose for me, yeah? I can see that you two care about each other"

Tate nodded with a smile, a single tear slipping from his eye. "I will, Mickey. I promise" At that point, The Doctor, Nova, and Tate made their way back into the Tardis, while Jake, Ken, and other-Nova stepped off to the side, giving Rose and Mickey some privacy.

Rose gave Mickey her old phone. The one with the code on it. "Thanks. We've had a laugh though, haven't we? Seen it all, been there and back. Who would have thought, me and you off the old estate, flying through the stars" 

"All those years just sitting there, imagining what we'd do one day. We never saw this, did we?" Rose said. The two of them hugged each other. Rose started crying into Mickey's shoulder, while he was doing his best to keep himself together.

"Go on, don't miss your flight" Rose let go of Mickey and went back into the Tardis in tears. She looked at him one last time before closing the door. "You three will want to watch this" Mickey said to Jake, Ken, and other-Nova. The three of them walked up beside Mickey. They watched as the Tardis dematerialised.

"What the hell?" Jake questioned.

"That's the Doctor and the Nightingale in the Tardis with Rose Tyler and Tate Peltzer"

"That's brilliant!" Ken breathed in amazement.

Other-Nova smiled. "May they have safe journeys ahead" She turned to face Jake and Mickey. "I would like to offer you both an invitation. Since there are still Cybermen out there, I'm going to devote a division of S.H.I.E.L.D to hunting down Cybermen, and I would like both of you to lead it"

Mickey and Jake glanced at each other. "Agent Jake? Agent Mickey? They've both got good rings to it" Jake said with a smirk.

Mickey smiled and nodded. He then looked back at other-Nova. "Director Galvin, we'll take you up on that offer"

"Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D" other-Nova said.

* * *

Jackie Tyler was in her kitchen filling a kettle when she heard the familiar noise coming from her living room. She went into the living room to find Rose stepping out of the Tardis, holding hands with a boy she's never seen before. She also saw The Doctor standing in front of the Tardis with a pretty blonde woman.

"You're alive. Oh mum, you're alive" Rose said. She let go of Tate's hand to go hug her mother.

"Well, I was the last time I looked" Jackie said. "What is it? What's happened, sweetheart? What's wrong? Where did you go?"

"Far away" The Doctor answered. "That was far away"

"Where's Mickey?"

"He's gone home"

"And who are you two?" Jackie was referring to Nova and Tate.

"Oh, mum" Rose spoke, pulling away from the hug. "These are our two new friends. This is Tate Peltzer," Tate waved at Jackie. "And then this is The Nightingale"

"The Nightingale?" Jackie looked at the woman. "You've got a name like the Doctor's. Does that mean you're..."

"I'm just like him" Nova said, lacing her hands with The Doctor's. The two of them looked at each other and smiled.

"I see" Jackie gave a small smile. She could tell there was something going on between them. She finally looked at Tate. "And Tate, is it? You travel with The Nightingale?"

"Well, I used to travel just with her, but then we met The Doctor and Rose, and we've all been travelling together ever since" Tate explained.

"I was just about to put the kettle on. Would everyone like some tea?" Jackie offered.

"I would love some, Miss Tyler. Rose says you make the best" Tate said.

"One for Tate then" Jackie looked to Nova. "And how about you, sweetheart?"

"Actually, Nova and I need to take care of something" The Doctor said.

Nova furrowed her eyebrows. "We do?"

Rose knew what The Doctor was trying to do so she helped him out a bit. "You two go on, then" she urged with a smirk. "Tate and I will be right here"

"We'll be back soon" The Doctor said. He went back into the Tardis, pulling Nova along with him. She was still questioning The Doctor and what was so important that needed their attention. Rose, Tate, and Jackie watched as the Tardis dematerialised.

"Are they alright?" Jackie questioned.

"Yes, mum. They're fine" Rose assured. "The Doctor just wanted to be alone with Nova for a bit"

"So, Miss Tyler," Tate started. "Do you need any help with the tea?

"I've got it, Tate" Jackie said, offering him a sweet smile. "You and Rose just sit and relax. I'll make the tea and then you can tell me all about yourself"


	32. A Date for Rose and Tate

Rose and Tate sat on the couch with Jackie. Tate sipped on his tea as he listened to Jackie tell a story about something funny Rose did when she was younger. Rose groaned in embarrassment from hearing her mother tell the story. "Mum, that story is so embarrassing!"

"Oh, come on, Rose" Tate teased, nudging her with his shoulder. "You're not the first girl to sing in front of her stuffed animals"

"She would go all out with it!" Jackie laughed. "She'd make up these fake concert tickets and make her stuffed toys pay for them with some Monopoly money. Every three or four songs she sang, she'd do a costume change into all these sparkly outfits I was tempted to buy for her"

"How about we hear a story about Tate, now?" Rose suggested. "I'm sure he's got something to tell"

"Oh, not really" Tate confessed with a shrug. "I guess the most interesting thing about me is that when I was younger, and my parents were still together, we'd spend every summer and holiday at my grandparents farm"

"That sounds nice" Jackie commented with a smile. "What kind of things did they have on the farm?"

"Oh, it was the most beautiful farm in all of Dublin. The greenest grass you'd ever seen, and my grandma tended a beautiful garden full of bright flowers and fresh vegetables. They had horses, goats, cows, chickens, pigs. There was even this lake on the farm. On hot summer days, it was nice to swim in it. Sometimes you got lucky and saw a frog or two"

Jackie closed her eyes and sighed in bliss, imagining life on a farm like that. "Usually, I'm not one for farms, but your grandparents' farm? Sounds like one I'd like to live on"

Rose smiled and leaned her head against Tate. A farm like that did sound nice. Rose could imagine her settling into a life with Tate, once their adventures with The Doctor and Nova were over. The two of them could live on a farm, a nice quiet life away from the city. They'd get married, and have children. Jackie could even come live with them. Rose couldn't imagine living so far away from her mother.

"But my favorite thing about that farm, is the fact that my grandparents, and my mom and dad got married on that farm. My grandfather had built a gazebo, and it still sits on that farm to this day"

"Do your grandparents still live on that farm?" Rose wondered.

"I would imagine they do" Tate said. "They still write to me, but I haven't seen them in years. I would love to see them again. They're getting older, and I don't know how much longer they're going to be around"

* * *

It was still early in the afternoon. Rose and Tate decided to go out for a walk. It was a bit breezy out, so they made sure they had jackets. Rose managed to find one for Tate to wear. "Hey, mum. Tate and I are heading out for some chips" Rose informed Jackie. "Do you want us to bring you back some?"

"No, that's alright" Jackie said. "You two go out and have some fun"

"Thanks, mum. Oh, and call me if The Doctor and Nova come back before we get home" Rose kissed Jackie on the cheek before her and Tate made their way out the door. "What do you think Nova and The Doctor are doing right now?"

"I don't know" Tate shrugged. "But they better not be on a fun adventure without us"

"I bet you anything they're out on their own date. Y'know, kind of like we are now"

"This is a date?"

"Do you want it to be?"

Tate smiled at Rose, and grasped her hand in his own. "Rose Tyler, I'd love this to be a date"

* * *

After they had gotten their chips, Rose and Tate decided to settle on a bench at the park. They laughed and talked with each other as they watched couples and people walking their dogs pass by. "I bet you right now, that The Doctor and Nova are on some beautiful, romantic planet right now confessing their love for one another" Rose said.

"Okay, I can handle some mild PDA, like hand holding and passionate hugs," Tate began. "But if they start sucking face every chance they get, then that's when we're gonna have to have a serious talk with them"

"Better hope that they don't start going at it right in the console room, and we could just walk in at any time"

Tate crinkled his face in disgust. "Ew, Rose. I don't need that picture in my head" Then they suddenly broke out into laughter. "Look at us. We're out on a date, and yet we keep talking about what two Time Lords are doing on their own"

"True, but I'm having fun"

"Me too"

Just then, a large dalmation dog came running up to them. The dog sniffed at them before it began to lick at Rose's hand. She laughed as she began petting the dog. "Dottie! No licking strangers!" a woman's voice called. An brown haired woman ran up to them. "Well, Dottie seems to like you two. Sorry about her licking your hand"

"Oh, it's fine" Rose assured the woman.

"She's a beautiful dog" Tate commented.

"Oh, thank you" the woman smiled kindly. "I found her wandering the streets when she was just a puppy. There was no collar on her. I brought her home, put up flyers, and when no one came to get her, I decided to adopt her" She looked between the two of them. "You two make a very cute couple, by the way"

Rose and Tate looked at each other with a smile. "Thanks" Rose said. They then looked back at the woman. "I'm Rose, and this is Tate"

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Maggie" She looked at Dottie and began petting her. "And you both already met Dottie"

"It's nice to meet you, Maggie" Tate said.

"Margaret!" another woman called out. Maggie looked into the direction of the woman. "Finish it up with your new friends! I want to get home in time to start making dinner!"

"Coming, mum!" Maggie called back to the woman. She turned back to the other two. She pulled out her phone and gave it to Rose first. "Why don't you two put your numbers in my phone? Perhaps we could all meet up for lunch one of these days?"

Rose smiled and typed her number into Maggie's phone. "That would be lovely, Maggie" she said, before handing Tate the phone.

He began typing in his number. "Yeah. We'll let you know next time we're back in town" Tate gave the phone back to Maggie.

"Oh, do you guys travel a lot?" Maggie asked with an inquisitive quirk of her brow.

Rose and Tate smiled, and then gave each other a knowing look. "Oh, you wouldn't believe half the places we've been" Rose stated. "We've been almost everywhere and anywhere you could think of"

Maggie's mum called her name again. Maggie sighed. "I have to go, but I'll text your numbers when I get home. I don't know what it is, but something tells me we're going to be great friends" Maggie started making her way over to her mother, with a tight grip on Dottie's leash so she wouldn't run off again. She turned her head in the direction of her new friends one last time. "Maybe next time you could tell me of some of your travels!"

The two companions watched Maggie and her mother leave until they were out of their line of sight. "She seems really nice" Rose commented.

"She does" Tate agreed. He furrowed his eyebrows. There was something about Maggie. Something that seemed.... familiar.

"Is everything okay?"

"Rose, was there something about Maggie that seemed kind of familiar to you?"

Rose also furrowed her eyebrows as she thought back to Maggie. Tate had a point. She did seem familiar. "Yeah, she did. I don't think we've met her before, have we?"

"No, we haven't"

* * *

The two of them were out a little later than they expected to be. It was dark by the time they found themselves walking home. Rose hadn't yet received a text from Jackie, so The Doctor and Nova probably haven't returned yet. Not that either Rose or Tate minded. They were enjoying having some time alone together. "Rose, I can't remember the last time I had this much fun with a girl" Tate confessed.

"Really?" Rose asked. "You've never had fun with Nova?"

"Okay, she doesn't count. She's a time traveling and space exploring alien" Tate retorted, causing Rose to laugh. "No, I mean, like that last time I've had time like this with any girl was prom"

"Well, I also had a fun time tonight" Rose laced her hand with his, and then leaned against his arm. "As much as I love being with The Doctor and Nova, sometimes I wish it was just you and me for a day"

They came to a stop right in front of Rose's apartment building. But they didn't go in. Instead, they both faced each other. Using his free hand, Tate tucked Rose's hair behind her ear. "I do too, Rose" They continued to stare at each other. "Could I kiss you?"

"What?" Rose said in a breath, taken by surprise at Tate's question.

"I'm sorry" Tate muttered, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have even asked. I mean, you and Mickey just said goodbye to each other, and if you're not ready yet, I completely understand"

"Tate," Rose cupped his face. "It's okay" The two of them started leaning in, but before their lips could meet, the whirring sound of the Tardis materialising and Rose's hair blowing in every direction ruined the moment. They looked over at the blue box just in time to see the two Time Lords step out.

"Oh, Doctor" Nova cooed at him. "I just wanted to thank you for that trip. How'd you find such a romantic spot?" Despite the dirty looks they were giving the two Time Lords, Rose and Tate both noticed the state of The Doctor and Nova. Nova's face was all flushed, The Doctor's hair was even crazier than usual, his suit was crumpled at the lapels, almost as if someone was grabbing onto to them, and their lips were swollen.

"Well," The Doctor began, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. "I did it for you. I knew you'd like a place like that, and I knew it would be perfect" Their foreheads touched and the tips of their noses lightly brushed against each other. "Now, how about a thank you?"

Nova giggled and playfully slapped his chest. "I've thanked you two times already"

"Third time's a charm" Their lips were about to touch until Rose angrily cleared her throat. The Doctor and Nova looked over to them. "Oh, hello you two. Er, how long have you been standing there?"

"Since before the Tardis arrived" Rose muttered.

"Ah" The Doctor also noticed the looks that the two of them were giving them. "And why do you look like you want to murder us?"

"Because we do!"

Nova was the one to piece together what happened. "Oh, Doctor, I think we intruded on a date" Then she started giggling as if she were high on some sort of drug. "I think they were about to kiss!" Nova touched her fingertips together to simulate the romantic gesture. The Doctor started laughing with her.

"Are you two alright?" Tate questioned. "You're both acting a little..."

"High" Rose finished. "Like you've smoked something you shouldn't"

"Rose, I can assure you we have not been partaking in any recreational drug use" The Doctor said, in the most casual way he possibly could.

"But technically yes, we're both kind of high right now" Nova smiled as she felt The Doctor wrap his arms around her from behind, and rest his chin on her shoulder. "But it's not from any sort of drug"

Rose and Tate smiled at them. Sure, they interrupted on an intimate moment, but with they way they were acting, they couldn't stay mad at them forever. They also knew what Nova meant. No, they weren't high from any drugs. They were high in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be another mini-chapter. You'll see what exactly happened while The Doctor and Nova were away


	33. Confessions

The Doctor and Nova went into the Tardis, leaving Rose and Tate with Jackie. The Doctor went over to the console and started typing in a coordinate. Nova stood by the rail, leaning against it with support from her elbows, and she crossed her ankles. She tilted her head as she watched him curiously. "What's so important that you had to take me away from tea time?" Nova inquired.

The Doctor looked over at her with a smile. "I promised you a special trip, didn't I?"

"That you did, my dear Doctor" Nova went over and joined The Doctor at the console. "So, where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise" He winked at her.

"Alright" Nova began making her way to another part of the Tardis. Before her last step out of the console room, she turned to face The Doctor. "Should I get changed?"

The Doctor looked her up and down. She looked perfect no matter what she was wearing, but he did have a soft spot for the usual attire she wore. "No, you look perfect"

Nova blushed and smiled at The Doctor. "Thank you. I'll be in the library for when we land" She walked out of the console room.

* * *

Nova had been curled up in a chair, reading a first edition copy of The Fellowship of The Ring she had found. She was so engrossed in the book that she didn't notice the red headed woman standing next to her. "Good book?" 

Nova jumped in surprise, dropping the book to the floor. She looked over and saw Jean standing next to her. "Jean, you scared me!" She gasped. Nova leaned over to pick up the book, but then did a double take in Jean's direction. "Jean!? What--- how did you get on the Tardis?"

Jean looked around. "Tardis? This is a library"

"Well, the library is on the Tardis. How are you here?" Nova reached over to touch Jean, but her hand went right through her.

"I'm telepathically projecting myself to where you are" Jean explained. "But physically I'm still at the school"

"Why are you reaching out to me?" 

"I've been getting flashes of memories in my head. Memories that haven't even happened to me. I saw metal men"

"Cybermen" Nova clarified. "My friends and I just had an encounter with them"

"I saw your friends too" Jean added with a smile. "There's a brown haired boy and a blonde girl. And there was another friend, one who you all had to say goodbye to"

"Tate, Rose and Mickey"

"But there is someone from your mind that flashes into mine the most. A man with brown eyes and brown hair. He's always wearing a brown suit with a long jacket. I can tell he means the most to you out of all your friends"

"That would be---"

"Supernova!" The Doctor interrupted as he burst into the library. "We're here" He had his hands tucked into his pockets as he walked over to her. "I heard voices. Were you talking to someone?"

"Oh, I was just talking to---" Nova turned her head to look at Jean, but noticed that she was gone. "Myself" She looked at The Doctor again. "I was talking to myself. I tend to do that when I'm alone. I find it passes the time rather quickly. So, where is it that you've taken me?"

The Doctor smiled and pulled one of his hands out of his pocket. He grabbed Nova's hand. "Come with me and I'll show you"

* * *

The moment they stepped out of the Tardis, Nova's eyes widened with amazement once she saw where they were. They were in a beautiful meadow. The grass was decorated with pink flowers. The trees had leaves of pink, and the rocks were covered by pink moss. They were also in front of a lake with crystal clear water. Waterfalls draped the mountains that stood tall and proud on either side of the lake. The glow from the sunset had been reflected beautifully off of the lake.

"My Supernova," The Doctor started, leaning in to whisper in Nova's ear. "Welcome to the meadow planet of Dinirime. The entire planet is covered by meadows and forests. No industrial cities, but there are villages where the planet's inhabitants reside"

"Oh, Doctor" Nova cooed. She took steps away from the Tardis and moved closer to the lake. "This is one of the most breathtaking sights I've ever laid eyes on" She smiled, not even noticing the single tear that slipped from her eye. "Isn't this the most breathtaking sight you've ever seen?"

The Doctor had come up beside her. "Well, it's the second most breathtaking sight I've ever seen"

"Really?" Nova turned to face him. "What's the first?"

"You are, my Supernova" The Doctor cupped her face in his hands. "There's a reason that I brought you here. I thought it would be the perfect place"

"The perfect place to do what?"

"To tell you that I'm in love with you" He touched his forehead to hers. "I have been since the moment we met" 

Nova smiled and put a hand to his cheek. She gently stroked his soft skin. "I'm in love with you too" In that moment, their lips met for the first time. 

* * *

The sun had set and all the stars had come out. The moon stood elegantly in the night sky. The illuminating light from the moon made the meadow before them seem more beautiful than before. The Doctor had removed his jacket and laid it out on the ground for him and Nova to lie on. The Doctor lied on his back with his hands tucked under his head. Nova sat leaning back, supporting herself with the palms of her hands laid flat against The Doctor's jacket. She had one leg crossed over the other and her head tilted upwards as she admired the stars above her.

The Doctor's attention wasn't on the stars tonight. He kept his gaze on Nova. He couldn't help but admire the way the light from the moon, reflecting off the lake, highlighted the beautiful features of her face. "You're staring at me, Doctor" Nova spoke softly. "Not that I mind"

"I just can't get over how beautiful you are" The Doctor said.

Nova smiled and tilted her head in his direction. She adjusted her position so that she was lying on her side, propping up her arm on her elbow and resting her head in her hand. She had her other arm draped over her stomach. "Would I still be beautiful if my face changed right now?"

"You'd be beautiful with any face" The Doctor reached up to cup her face. "But this face will always be special to me. This will be the face that I first fell in love with" Nova smiled as she placed her hand over his. "And I promise that I will love every face after"

"I make the same promise to you, _Mime mel_ " The Doctor quirked an eyebrow at her. "It's the elvish word for my love. I love my Lord of The Rings"

The Doctor lovingly smiled at her. "I still can't believe I met you. I still can't believe I'm not the only one"

"Will this make you believe?" Nova asked, before leaning over and pressing another kiss to his lips. When she pulled away, she noticed how much his pupil's had blown. The Doctor sat up from his supine position, and with a possessive growl, he grabbed Nova and pulled her onto him so that she was straddling his lap. 

"You're mine now, and I'm never letting you go" 

Nova bit her lip. She had never seen this side of The Doctor before. She absolutely loved it. "Is that a promise?"

"Oh, yes" He pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

* * *

Another hour had passed during their time on Dinirime, before they decided they should return to Rose and Tate. The Doctor was at the console, and Nova was watching him, biting her lip. She had the urge to kiss him again and she wasn't going to dare ignore it. She walked over to him. "Supernova," The Doctor said when he noticed her. "Is everything---" He was cut off when Nova grabbed him by the lapels of his suit and pulled him into another kiss. 

The Doctor quickly melted into the kiss. His hands made their way to rest on her lower back, while Nova's hands were preoccupied with his hair. "You know," Nova spoke when she pulled away for a breath. "I don't think I'll be able to control myself around you anymore" 

"That's alright" The Doctor said. "I don't want you to" They went back to kissing again. It was getting real heated, real fast. The Doctor pulled away, keeping his arms wrapped around Nova. She nuzzled into his neck. "We should get back to Rose and Tate" he suggested.

"Who?" Nova asked, completely forgetting about them in that moment. "Oh, our friends" She smirked and started peppering kisses on his neck. "Surely, we don't have to return to them right away"

The Doctor let out a moan as he fluttered his eyes and leaned his head back. "Supernova..." Her hands found the buttons of his suit jacket. She had got the first one undone, and was about to undo the second one when The Doctor stopped her by placing his hands over his.

"What's wrong, my love?" she wondered. She looked up at him with a worried glint in her eye like she had done something wrong.

"It's not that I don't want to" he began. "Believe me, I want to. It's just, you're the first one to have made me feel like this in a long time. I want to take things slow. I want to take my time to enjoy the moments I have with you. The little ones and the big ones. And the first time we do decide to..."

"You want to make it special?" Nova finished, a smile growing on her face. "I can understand that, my dear Doctor" She laced their fingers together. "I want our first time to be special too" He smiled and brought her hands up to his lips. He pressed a kiss to each one of her fingers. "But Doctor, there is something I must tell you"

"What is it?"

"You're not the first one I've ever loved" she confessed with a sad sigh as she retracted her hands. She leaned against the console, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at her boots. "It was a very long time ago. We weren't together for long before I never saw him again" She looked back up at The Doctor. "But, the love I feel for you is stronger than I've felt for anybody. I don't know what it is with you, but it's as if I feel this unbreakable bond with you. And if that bond ever broke, I know I'd suffer of a broken heart until I succumbed to it"

The Doctor stepped closer to her. He took her face in his hands. The both of them closed their eyes as their foreheads touched. "I feel an unbreakable bond with you too"

"Doctor," Nova spoke in a breath, her lips ghosting over his. "Promise me that nothing is going to break us apart. That I won't ever have to experience a lifetime without you"

"Supernova, you know I can't---"

"Promise me"

"I promise" They sealed that promise with a kiss and then embraced each other with a loving hug. When Nova opened her eyes again, she saw Jean again. She flashed a smile at Nova before disappearing. Nova furrowed her eyebrows. Something connected her to Jean Grey, and it somehow gives them both a telepathic connection to each other, or at least Jean a telepathic connection to Nova. She just needed to found out what it was.

But what Nova didn't know, is that the man embracing her had the answer she needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinirime is a planet of my own creation. It will be appearing frequently in this series as a special place for our Doctor and Nightingale. Also, I'm also adding some of my own Time Lord lore with the unbreakable bond thing and it will become very important for later.


	34. The Idiot's Lantern 7.1

For their next trip, the Tardis team travelled to the nineteen fifties. Rose and Tate stepped out of the Tardis first. Rose was dressed in a pink dress with a blue jacket and pink heels. Her hair was tied back and she had a pink headband wrapped around her head. Tate was dressed in a white t-shirt and black jeans, wearing a zipped up black leather jacket and black sneakers. His hair was slicked back, save for one strand that hung in front of his forehead. "I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era, you know the white flares and the, grr, chest hair" Rose thought out loud.

The Doctor stuck his head out of the Tardis. His hair was styled in a Teddy Boy quiff. "You are kidding, aren't you? You want to see Elvis, you go for the late fifties. The time before burgers. When they called him the Pelvis and he still had a waist" Rose and Tate looked at each other and started to laugh. "What's more, you see him in style"

There was the sound of two scooters revving their engines. Both The Doctor and Nova came out of the Tardis, both of them riding on a Scooter. The both of them were wearing crash helmets, except The Doctor's was white, and Nova's was pink. The Doctor was also wearing a pair of shades. "Ta-da!" Nova smiled. She was still dressed in her usual attire, with the exception of her hair. It was pulled back in an updo with two large curls secured at the top of her head. The two Time Lords put their scooters to a stop. "What do you think?" Nova asked, giving the scooter she was on a tap. "Pretty groovy, right?"

"Those are some pretty rad scooters" Tate agreed.

"Good" Nova got off the scooter. She grabbed another white helmet and gave it to Tate. "Because that one is yours and Rose's" 

"Here" The Doctor grabbed another pink helmet. He threw it in Rose's direction, and she caught it. 

"Thanks" she nodded at him before putting the helmet on. Tate had gotten his helmet on as well, and he climbed onto the scooter Nova was driving before. Rose climbed on after him. She wrapped her arms securely around his waist.

"You going my way, doll?" The Doctor said to Nova as she climbed on the scooter with him.

"Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" Nova responded, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Straight from the fridge, man" Rose chimed in, sending a wink in Nova's direction.

Nova looked at her and quirked her eyebrow with a smile. "Look at you, Rose. Speaking the lingo"

"Oh well, me, mum, Cliff Richard movies every Bank Holiday Monday"

"Ah, Cliff. I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan" The Doctor added. They all rode off down the street. The Doctor and Nova led the way as Tate and Rose followed behind.

"Where are heading, anyways?" Tate yelled over the roaring of the scooters.

"Ed Sullivan TV Studios. Elvis did Hound Dog on one of the shows. There were loads of complaints. Bit of luck, we'll just catch it"

"And that'll be TV studios in, what, New York?" Rose asked.

"That's the one" A red London bus drove past the end of the street. The four of them pulled up by a red post box. A lot of Union Flag bunting was seen strung between the houses.

"Ha! Digging that New York vibe!"

Tate laughed with Rose. "Yeah, so am I"

"Well, this could still be New York. I mean, this looks very New York to me" The Doctor said. He looked around. "Sort of Londony New York, mind"

"What's with all the flags?" Tate wondered.

* * *

The Tardis team decided to take a walk around the street. They walked up to a van where a television set was being delivered from the back of it. "There you go" a man, named Magpie said, handing the television to a couple of boys. "All wired up for a great occasion" 

"The great occasion?" The Doctor repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Where've you been living, out in the Colonies? Coronation, of course"

"What Coronation would that be?" Nova asked with a tilt of her head.

"What do you mean? The Coronation"

The Doctor and Nova gave each other confused glances. Rose and Tate, however, knew what Magpie was talking about. They gave each other a look, and Tate nodded at Rose, urging her to explain it to them. "It's the Queen's. Queen Elizabeth" She explained.

"Oh!" The Doctor yelped with excitement. "Is this nineteen fifty three?"

"Last time I looked. Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance, what we do best" Magpie said.

Rose began looking up at all the houses roofing. She noticed something similar about all of the houses. "Look at all the TV aerials. Looks like everyone's got one. That's weird. My nan said tellies were so rare they all had to pile into one house"

"Not around here, love" Rose and Tate stayed put, as The Doctor and Nova took a few steps down the street. "Magpie's Marvellous Tellies, only five quid a pop"

"Oh, but this is a brilliant year. Classic!" The Doctor continued to cheer. He grasped Nova's hand. "Don't you think this a brilliant year, my Supernova?"

Nova agreed with a nod and a smile. "Of course. You've got Technicolour, Everest climbed, everything off the ration. The nation throwing off the shadows of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future" 

"Someone help me!" a woman suddenly cried for help. Everyone looked to see two burly black men in suits bundle a person into the back of a car. The person had a blanket over their head. "Leave him alone!" The woman pleaded with the two men. "He's my husband! Please!"

The Tardis team ran over to the house. "What's going on?" The Doctor asked.

A boy ran out of the house next door. "Oi, what are you doing?" The boy demanded.

"Police business" one of the men answered. "Now, get out of the way, sir"

"Who did they take?" Tate asked, looking down at the boy who was now standing in between him and Rose. "Do you know him?"

"Must be Mister Gallagher" the boy answered. The car drove away. "It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters"

Another man stepped out of the house. "Tommy!" It was the boy's father. "Not one word! Get inside now!"

"Sorry. I'd better do as he says" Tommy went back inside the house. The Doctor, Nova, Rose and Tate all got back on their scooters and began following after the black car. The four of them lost the car after it disappeared behind a vegetable barrow.

"Lost them. How'd they get away from us?" The Doctor wondered.

"Surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving" Rose said. "I saw you driving. Have you actually passed your test?"

"Men in black? Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia"

"That boy said something about monsters" Tate spoke up. "Perhaps we should start asking the neighbors"

"Ah," Nova smirked, twisting her head around to look at her companion. "Tate Peltzer likes the domestic approach, I see"

Tate glared at her. "Watch it, Nightingale"

"I think Tate's got the right idea" Rose sided. "The neighbor's had to have seen something"

"Thank you, Rose" He looked over his shoulder to look at her. "At least I know you'll always agree with my ideas" She smiled in return, resting her chin on Tate's shoulder.

"I never said I didn't agree with you" Nova corrected. "I just said it's rather domestic of you. It was a compliment, if anything else" She faced forward again and gave The Doctor a tap on the arm. "Off we go then, my love?"

"Hold on tight, Supernova" The Doctor said. She held onto him tightly and rested her head against his back. They zoomed off. 

"So you know how Nova's got the van," Rose began. "She doesn't drive as bad as The Doctor, does she?"

"Once we decided to go on a cross country roadtrip once back in Ireland" Tate said. "Let's just say only ten minutes in, I had to take over the wheel. And we only just got out of the driveway"

Rose laughed hard with a snort. Tate smiled at her and he couldn't help but join in with Rose's laughter. "God! It's amazing that they can even fly their blue box and their van isn't it"

"It sure is, Rosie" Tate used his new nickname for Rose, which made her heart flutter in return. "Suppose we should follow after them, then" Rose made sure she was holding on tightly to Tate before they zoomed off, following after The Doctor and Nova.


	35. The Idiot's Lantern 7.2

The Tardis team went to Tommy's house again. They rang the doorbell. Tommy's father, Eddie, answered the door. When the door opened, the four of them smiled at Eddie and chimed, "Hi!"

"Who are you, then?" Eddie questioned.

"Let's see, then" The Doctor began. His eyes scanned over Eddie. "Judging by the look of you, family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war, therefore we represent Queen and country" Both he and Nova held up their psychic paper.

Nova continued on from The Doctor. "Just doing a little check of Her forthcoming Majesty's subjects before the great day. Don't mind if we come in? Nah, I didn't think you did. Thank you" The four of them made their way inside the house. They all stepped foot into the living room. "Oh, isn't this a cozy looking room"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, very well kept" He and Nova made their way over to the woman in the room. "We'd like to congratulate you, Mrs?"

"Connolly" she answered.

"Now then, Rita. I can handle this" Eddie spoke. He stood on the other side of the room, with his hands behind his back. "This gentleman's a proper representative. Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit"

"Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more" The Doctor suggested. Rose and Tate both took a seat on the chair. "I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty. Nice flags. Why are they not flying?"

"There we are Rita, I told you, Get them up. Queen and country"

"I'm sorry" Rita apologized.

"Get it done. Do it now"

"Hold on a minute" Nova requested, holding up a finger.

Eddie completely ignored her as he continued to order his wife. "Like the gentlemen says"

"Hold on a minute!" Nova spoke more harshly but she didn't yell. She took a few steps closer to Eddie, crossing her arms over her chest. "You've got hands, Mister Connolly. Two big hands. So why is that your wife's job?"

Eddie scoffed at Nova. "I will not be answering to you, Miss. I will only be answering to the gentleman"

The Doctor stepped in. "You _will_ be answering to her when she asks you a question" He defended. "My wife is my equal" Nova smiled when she heard him refer to her as his wife. "The both of us have the same job. One could even say she does her job a little better than mine. You will show her the same respect you show me. Understood?"

Eddie nodded, even though he didn't look to pleased about the situation. "Very well" He looked to Nova. "You were saying, Miss?"

"Thank you" Nova thanked with a smile, though it was more directed at The Doctor than it was to Eddie. "As I was saying, why is it your wife's job putting up the flags?"

"Well, it's housework innit?"

"And that's a woman's job?"

"Of course it is!"

Nova rolled her eyes. "Mr. Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" 

"She's a female"

"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?"

Everybody looked at Eddie. There was a pause before he answered. "No!"

The Doctor walked over with a line of flags in his hands. "Then get busy" He said, handing the flags over to Eddie.

"Right. Yes, sir. You'll be proud of us, sir. And you too, ma'am" Eddie nodded at Nova. "We'll have Union Jacks left, right and centre" He began putting the flags up on the wall.

"Excuse me, Mr. Connolly" Rose spoke up, standing up from the chair. She turned in Eddie's direction. "Hang on a minute. Union Jacks?"

"Yes," Eddie said, turning to look at Rose. "That's right, isn't it?"

"That's the Union Flag. It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea"

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, I do apologise"

"Well, don't get it wrong again, there's a good man. Now get to it!" Rose shouted that last bit. Eddie continued with the flags. Rose smiled, biting at her lip and turning around. She and Nova had the same smile on their face, both of them feeling prideful and empowered.

"Right then!" The Doctor said. He and Nova settled on the couch, leaving a space in between them for Rose. She sat in the empty spot. "Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure" The Doctor leaned in closer to Rose. "Union flag?"

"Mum went out with a sailor"

"Oh ho ho ho. I bet she did" The Doctor snickered. "Anyway, I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. Over on the chair there is Tate, and then finally we have the Nightingale"

"But please, feel free to call me Nova" She looked to Tommy who was staring at them all. "And you are?"

"Tommy" he introduced himself.

"Well, sit yourself down, Tommy" They managed to make some room for Tommy to sit on the couch. He sat in between Nova and Rose. "Have a look at this. I love telly, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think it's brilliant"

"Good man!" The Doctor applauded. The man on the TV was showing the vertebra of an ichthyosaurus. "Keep working, Mister C! Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" He asked Rita.

"Did you say you were a Doctor?" Rita asked.

"Yes I am"

"Can you help her? Oh please, can you help her, Doctor?"

"Now then, Rita" Eddie warned. "I don't think the gentleman needs to know"

"No, the gentleman does" The Doctor countered.

Tate leaned forward in his chair. "Tell us what's wrong, and we can help" He urged, offering Rita a warm and kind smile.

Rita burst into tears. Rose went over to comfort her. "It's all right. Come here. It's okay" Rose cooed.

"Hold on a minute" Eddie said. "Queen and country's one thing, but this is my house! What the?" He threw the flags to the ground. "What the hell am I doing? Now you listen here, Doctor and Nightingale. You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business"

"A lot of people are being bundled into---" Nova attempted to speak but Eddie screamed over her.

"I am talking!"

"Don't scream at her like that!" The Doctor raised his voice, bolting up from the couch. He got into Eddie's face. "We're not listening! Now you, Mister Connolly, you are staring into a deep, dark pit of trouble if you don't let us help. So I'm ordering you, sir! Tell us what's going on!" A thumping noise came from upstairs. 

"She won't stop" _Thump. Thump. Thump._ "She never stops"

"We started hearing stories," Tommy began to explain. "All round the place. People who've changed. Families keeping it secret because they were scared. Then the police started finding out. We don't know how, no one does. They just turn up, come to the door and take them, any time of the day or night"

"Show us" The Doctor asked.

* * *

Tommy led them to a room upstairs. It was dark in the room. Tommy started calling out. "Gran? It's Tommy. It's all right, Gran. I've brought help" He turned on the lights. The old woman was standing there with no eyes, nose or mouth. Her face was completely blank.

"Okay, that's creepy" Tate muttered.

"Her face is completely gone" The Doctor said. He scanned her with his sonic screwdriver. "Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shutdown. She's ticking over. It's like her brain has been wiped clean"

"What're we going to do, Doctor? We can't even feed her" Tommy said. They heard someone breaking in through the front door.

"We've got company" Rose said.

"It's them!" Rita cried. "They've come for her!"

"Quickly. What was she doing before this happened?" The Doctor questioned. "Where was she? Tell me. Quickly, think!"

Rita put her hand to her head, trying to remember. Tommy quickly added. "I can't think! She doesn't leave the house! She was just---" Two burly men dressed in black burst in.

"Hold on a minute" One of the men stood in front of The Doctor. "There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One--" The Doctor didn't get to finish as he was punched in the face. 

"Doctor!" Rose yelped. She and Tate crouched on either side of him. They began attempting to wake him up.

"Ow!" Nova groaned, putting her hand to her cheek. She was able to feel the punch. She narrowed her eyes at the two men. "Oi! No one, and I mean no one, punches my boyfriend and gets away with it!" she growled. The men ignored her as they put a blanket over gran's head. Nova let out a feral scream as she jumped on the man that punched The Doctor.

Tate looked up at the chaos ensuing in front of him. "Nightingale! No!" He shot up to his feet. "Get off of him! This completely goes against your code of ethics!"

The two men bundled gran out. "Leave her alone! No!" Rita pleaded with the two men. Nova still on the punchy-man's back, hitting and kicking at him. Tate was now trying to pry her off of the man, while Rose was trying to wake The Doctor up. 

"Doctor! Wake up! Your girlfriends gone mad!" Rose tried.

The Doctor suddenly sat up, nearly giving Rose a Glasgow kiss. "Ah, hell of a right hook. Have to watch out for that" He looked around. "Where's Nova and Tate?"

"Your girlfriend jumped the man that punched you, and Tate's trying to pry her off of him" 

* * *

Tate had managed to separate Nova from Mr. Punchy before they made it out the front door. "Nightingale!" He cupped her face and looked her right in the eye. He noticed the amber glow in her eyes, and the golden cracks appearing in her skin. Nova however didn't seem to notice. "You need to calm down, Nightingale!"

"You saw what he did!" she growled. "He punched my Doctor in the face!"

"Yes, he did" Tate nodded. "But that does not give you the right to go feral!"

Nova opened her mouth to say something, but was distracted when she saw The Doctor and Rose running down the stairs. "Doctor!" She called out, her tone much more calm than before. She glow in her eyes and the cracks in her skin disappeared.

The Doctor grabbed her hand and then they ran out the door. "Rose! Tate! Come on!" He called out for the two companions. They hopped onto one of the scooters and put on their helmets. "Come on, you two. We're going to lose them again!" They sped off after the car.

"Rose, we'd better follow" Tate said. Tate ran out the door but only made it about three steps when he saw Rose had stopped. "Rose?"

"Tate, look at the telly" Rose said, pointing at it. There was a stream of red energy leaving it. Tate came back in just in time to see the energy disappearing.

"I don't understand. What's going on with the telly?" 

"There was this red energy" Rose explained. She moved closer to the television while Tate stayed put. She turned it around to see the energy disappearing into the aerial connection. She also saw the supplier's label. It had Magpie's name on it.

"You two!" Eddie called out to Rose and Tate when he saw them crowding around the television. "Get the hell out of my house!"

Rose huffed with a sigh. She stepped away from the television. "We're going. We're done. Nice to meet you, Tommy, Mrs Connolly. And as for you, Mister Connolly, only an idiot hangs the Union Flag upside down. Shame on you!"

"Have a good evening" Tate quickly chimed in before he and Rose dashed out of the house. They stopped in the middle of the street, and looked around to find that The Doctor and Nova left without them. "Damn it. They left without us"

"Actually, that's perfect" Rose said, gripping onto Tate's hand. She looked at him and gave him a grin. "That means you and I can do some investigating of our own. And I know exactly where we should start"

* * *

The Doctor and Nova were fast enough to catch up to the car and watch it disappear behind the Operation Market Stall. "Oh, very good. Very good" The Doctor chirped. "Shall we go exploring, my Supernova?"

Nova reached into her pocket, pulling out her sonic screwdriver. "That we shall, my dear Doctor" They got off the scooter and started exploring. They found a small door in the big gates. "Oh, what do we have here?"

The Doctor looked at her and then motioned towards the door. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Nova curtsied at him. "Don't mind if I do" The scanned the door with her sonic and once it was opened, the both of them went through it. They were now in some kind of holding area. The two Time Lords witnessed two burly men padlock a wire door and then walk off. Once the coast was clear, The Doctor and Nova walked over to it. "What do you think is in here?"

"There's only one way to find out" The Doctor said. Nova unlocked it. They found themselves in an area with large cages. They decided to open one of them. It was full of blank faced people. The Doctor turned on a flashlight and shined it on them. The blank faced people were clenching their fists, and following the light from the flashlight. Suddenly, a pair of switch lights flashed on. The Doctor and Nova quickly took each other's hands, and then looked in the direction of the lights. There was a man standing next to the lights.

"Stay where you are!"


	36. The Idiot's Lantern 7.3

Rose and Tate went to Magpie's shop. "Oh, I'm sorry Sir and Madam" Magpie said as he looked up at them. "I'm afraid you're too late. I was just about to lock the door"

"Yeah?" Rose quirked. "Well, we want to buy a telly"

"Come back tomorrow, please"

"Won't you be closed tomorrow?" Tate asked.

"What?"

"For the big day?" Rose added. "The coronation?"

"Yes, yes, of course" Magpie answered. "The big day. I'm sure you'll both find somewhere to watch it. Please go"

Rose and Tate approached Magpie's desk. Rose continued with the interrogation. "Seems to me half of London's got a television, since you're practically giving them away"

"I have my reasons"

"And what are they?" A woman's face suddenly appeared on one of the television sets. 

"Hungry. Hungry" the woman chanted.

"What is that?" Tate questioned Magpie.

"It's just a television. One of these modern programmes" Magpie explained. Rose and Tate gave each a look. Neither of them were buying that explanation. "Now, I really do think you should leave. Right now!" Magpie walked over to the door.

"Not until you've answered our questions" Rose stated. "How come your televisions are so cheap?"

"It's just my patriotic duty" Rose put her hands on her hips, and Tate leaned against the desk as Magpie droned on. "Seems only right that as many folk as possible get to watch the coronation. We may be losing the Empire but we can still be proud. Twenty million people they reckon'll be watching. Imagine that. And twenty million people can't be wrong, eh, so why don't you get yourself back home and get up, bright and early, for the big day" Magpie opened the door and urged them to leave the store.

"Nah" Rose shook her head. "We're not leaving till we've seen everything"

"I need to close"

"Mister Magpie, something's happening out there. Ordinary people are being struck down and changed, and the only new thing in the house is a television"

"Your television to be exact" Tate added, pointing an accusing finger at Magpie. "What's going on?"

"I knew this would happen" Magpie said. He closed the door. "I knew I'd be found out" He then locked the door.

"All right then" Rose said, her eyes darting nervously. Magpie was staring her down. Tate hovered around Rose, prepared to grab her incase Magpie tried anything. "It's just us three. You going to come clean, then? What's really in it for you?"

"For me? Perhaps some peace"

"From what exactly?" Tate asked.

"From her" Magpie glanced at the television with the woman on the screen.

Rose looked at the television. She was standing right next to it. "That's just a woman on the telly. That's just a programme"

Tate furrowed his eyebrows, sensing that something was wrong. "Rose, you might want to step away from the television set"

"What a pretty little girl" the woman said.

"Oh my god," Rose gasped. She stared right at the television. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes I'm talking to you, little one. Unseasonably chilly for the time of year, don't you think?"

"What are you?"

"I'm the Wire, and I'm hungry!"

"Rose, no!" Tate shrieked out, reaching out to grab Rose. Before he could, though, energy lanced out of the television and grabbed onto her face.

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you" Magpie warned Tate.

He glared at the man. "You will help her, right now!"

"Just think of that audience tomorrow, my dear and my dear boy, all settling down to watch the coronation. Twenty million people. Things will never be the same again" Tate made an attempt to grab Rose, but Magpie grabbed him and held him back. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry"

"Help me!" Rose cried.

"Goodnight, children, everywhere" the Wire said.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova were in an office with the burly men from before. One of the men, Bishop, was interrogating them. "Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know"

"Well, for starters, I know you can't wrap your hand around your elbow and make your fingers meet" The Doctor said.

Nova snickered. "And I know that humans will never be able to twist their heads around like an owl"

"Don't get clever with me" Bishop warned. "You two were there today at Florizel Street, and now breaking into this establishment. Now you're connected with this. Make no mistake"

"Well, the thing is, Detective Inspector Bishop" The Doctor said, only to be cut off by the aforementioned man.

"How do you know my name?"

"He's not blind" Nova sassed. "Your name is written inside your collar. Now, you have the title of Detective Inspector, but you don't seem to be doing much inspecting, now do you?"

"I'm doing everything in my power"

"All you're doing is grabbing those faceless people and hiding them as fast as you can. Don't tell me orders from above, hmm?" The Doctor said. "Coronation Day. The eyes of the world are on London Town so any sort of problem just gets swept out of sight"

"The nation has an image to maintain"

"But doesn't it drive you mad, doing nothing? Don't you want to get out there and investigate?"

" Of course I do. But," Bishop paused to sit down. "With all the crowds expected, we haven't got the man power. Even if we did, this is beyond anything we've ever seen. I just don't know anymore. Twenty years on the force, I don't even know where to start. We haven't the faintest clue what's going on"

"Well, that could change"

"How?"

The Doctor and Nova rose up from their seats. "Start from the beginning" Nova said. "And tell us everything you know?"

Bishop began to explain. "We started finding them about a month ago. Persons left sans visage. Heads just blank"

"Is there any sort of pattern?"

"Yes, spreading out from North London. All over the city. Men, women, kids, grannies. The only real lead is there's been quite a large number in---"

"Florizel Street" The Doctor finished.

The door opened and in walked Crabtree, Bishop's partner. "Found another one, sir" He brought in another person with a blanket over their head. "And this one had a friend"

"Oh, er, good man, Crabtree. Where is the other one you found?"

Crabtree peeked his head out the door and motioned for someone to come in. In walked Tate. He had a pained and frightened look on his face, but perked up a little when he saw his two friends. "Nova! Doctor!"

"Tate!" Nova said. She went up to him and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm glad you're okay" She pulled away and noticed the upset look on Tate's face. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Nova, Doctor, I tried to save her..." Tate murmured. "But I..."

"Tried to save who, Tate?" The Doctor asked, stepping up to Tate. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Where is Rose?" Tate looked at Bishop, whose hand was hovering near the blanket on the person's head. Tate gave a nod, and Bishop removed the blanket, revealing the blank face of...

"Rose"

"Tate, do you know how this happened?" Nova asked.

"She looked at a television screen" Tate explained.

Nova furrowed her eyebrows. "She what?"

Tate didn't get a chance to explain further as Crabtree spoke. "They found her in the street, abandoned" He pointed towards Tate. "He wouldn't leave her side. He was shouting for help"

"That's unusual. That's the first one out in the open. Heaven help us if something happens in public tomorrow for the big day. We'll have Torchwood on our backs then, make no mistake" Bishop said.

"They did what?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"They left her where?" 

"Just in the street" Bishop answered.

"In the street. They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street. And as a result, that makes things simple. Very, very simple. Do you know why?"

"No"

"Because now, Detective Inspector Bishop, there is no power on this Earth that can stop me or my Nightingale" The Doctor announced, grabbing onto Nova's hand. "Tate, you stay here and look after Rose"

"I won't let her out of my sight" Tate promised. The Doctor and Nova left with Bishop and Crabtree following behind them. Tate cupped Rose's blank face in his hands. "Don't worry, Rosie. Our friends will save you" He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova found themselves at the front door of the Connelly residence. They rang the doorbell, and Tommy answered. "Tommy, talk to us. We need to know exactly what happened inside your house" The Doctor said.

Tommy stepped outside and was about to close the door when Eddie joined them. "What the blazes do you think you're doing?" Eddie questioned.

"I want to help, dad" Tommy said.

"Mr. Connolly" Nova said.

"Shut your face, you, whoever you are" Eddie hissed. He got right in her face, a little too close for The Doctor's liking. He stepped in between Nova and Eddie. 

"Don't talk to her like that" The Doctor growled protectively.

Eddie glared daggers at him. "We can handle this ourselves" He backed off and moved closer to Tommy. "Listen, you little twerp. You're hardly out of the blooming' cradle, so I don't expect you to understand. But I've got a position to maintain. People round here respect me. It matters what people think"

"Is that why you did it, dad?" Tommy asked.

"What do you mean? Did what?"

"You ratted on Gran. How else would the police know where to look, unless some coward told them"

"How dare you! Do you think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward?"

"You don't get it, do you? You fought against fascism, remember? People telling you how to live, who you could be friends with, who you could fall in love with, who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it? You were fighting so that little twerps like me could do what we want, say what we want. Now you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone, haven't you? Even Gran. All to protect your precious reputation"

Rita came to the door. "Eddie, is that true?" She had heard everything.

"I did it for us, Rita" Eddie tried to defend. "She was filthy. A filthy, disgusting thing!"

"She's my mother. All the others you informed on, all the people in our street, our friends"

"I had to. I did the right thing"

"The right thing for us or for you, Eddie? You go, Tommy. Go with the Doctor and Nightingale, and do some good. Get away from this house, it's poison. We had a ruddy monster under this roof, all right, but it weren't my mother!" Rita slammed the door shut on Eddie.

Eddie stood at the door, calling for his wife. "Rita!"

Nova looked to Tommy, offering him a warm smile and her hand. "Tommy?" He took her hand, and walked off with her, The Doctor, and Bishop to do their investigation.

* * *

Tommy walked in between The Doctor and Nova. Bishop walked just behind them. "Tommy, tell us about that night" The Doctor asked the young boy. "The night she changed"

"She was just watching the telly" Tommy said.

"Tate said the same thing about Rose" Nova said.

"That he did" The Doctor added. He looked up at all the roofing of the houses, his eyes looking at each aerial. "Rose said it. She guessed it straight away. Of course she did. All these aerials in one little street. How come?"

"Bloke up the road, Mr. Magpie, he's selling them cheap"

"Is he, now?" Bishop asked.

The Doctor and Nova made a dash for Magpie's shop. "Come on!" Tommy and Bishop quickly followed after them.

* * *

The Doctor broke the glass window on the front door. He reached through the broken glass for the doorknob. He opened the door, and he and Nova marched through it. "Shop! If you're here, come out and talk to us! Magpie!" The Doctor called out. Nova started frantically ringing the bell that was situated on the front desk.

"Maybe he's out?" Tommy suggested.

"Looks like it" Nova said. She went around behind the desk. She searched the drawers until she found the portable television. "Look what we have here"

The Doctor came around the desk and next to Nova. She handed him the television so he could inspect it as well. "This isn't right. This is very much not right" He gave the television a lick. "Tastes like iron. Bakelite. Put together with human hands, yes, but the design itself" He took out his sonic screwdriver, and started scanning the television. "Oh, beautiful work. That is so simple"

"That's incredible" Bishop commented. "It's like a television, but portable. A portable television"

The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver. "It's not the only power source in this room" All the television screens lit up, each with a different face on it. They were all mouthing help me.

Tommy noticed one particular face. "Gran?"

The Doctor and Nova found Rose's face on one of the televisions. She was mouthing both of their names. "We're on our way" Nova promised her.


	37. The Idiot's Lantern 7.4

Magpie suddenly came in from the back. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded. The Doctor and Nova angrily marched over to him.

"We want our friend restored, and I think that's beyond a little backstreet electrician, so tell me, who's really in charge here?" The Doctor growled.

"Yoo hoo!" Everyone's attention turned to the Wire. "I think that must be me. Ooh, this one's smart as paint. And that one is as pretty as a seashell"

"Is she talking to us?" Bishop wondered out loud.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, and madam, I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves. May I introduce you to my new friend" Magpie said.

"Jolly nice to meet you" the Wire said.

"Oh my God, it's her, that woman off the telly" Bishop exclaimed.

"No, it's just using her image" Nova clarified.

"What?" Tommy muttered in confusion. "What are you?"

"I'm the Wire, and I will gobble you up, pretty boy" The way she said it with a smile on her face was highly disturbing. "Every last morsel" The black and white image changed to a colored image. "And when I have feasted, I shall regain the corporeal body, which my fellow kind denied me"

"Good lord" Bishop gasped with eyes wide. "Colour television!"

"So your own people tried to stop you?" The Doctor pried.

"They executed me. But I escaped in this form and fled across the stars" the Wire explained.

"And now you're trapped in the television"

The Wire frowned as the colour on the screen reverted back to black and white. "Not for much longer"

"Doctor, Nightingale, is this what got my Gran?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, Tommy" Nova answered with a nod. "It feeds off the electrical activity of the brain, but it gorges itself like a great overfed pig, taking people's faces, their essences. It stuffs itself"

"And you let her do it, Magpie" Bishop correctly accused.

"I had to. She allowed me my face" Magpie explained, as if it was an excuse for doing what he did. "She's promised to release me at the time of manifestation"

"What does that mean?" Tommy asked.

"The appointed time. My crowning glory" the Wire stated.

"Doctor, Nightingale, the coronation!" Bishop realized.

"For the first time in history, millions gathered around a television set. But you're not strong enough yet, are you? You can't do it all from here" The Doctor said.

Nova continued on from that point. She grabbed the portable television. "That's why you need this. You need something more powerful! This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver"

"What clever things you both are!" the Wire said, shaking her head. "But why fret about it? Why not just relax? Kick off your shoes and enjoy the Coronation. Believe me, you'll be glued to the screen" Energy came out of the television, and grabbed onto The Doctor, Nova, Bishop, and Tommy's faces.

"Doctor! Nightingale!" Bishop pleaded for them to help.

"Hungry! Hungry! The Wire is hungry! Ah, these two are tasty. Oh, I'll have lashings of them! Delicious!" The Doctor and Nova both reached into their pockets for their sonic screwdrivers. "Ah! Armed. They're armed and clever. Withdraw! Withdraw!" The energy disappeared and the four of them collapsed to the ground. "The box, Magpie! The box!" Magpie grabbed the portable television, which had dropped beside a blank-faced Bishop. "Hold tight!" The Wire zapped herself into the small box. "Conduct me to my victory, Magpie"

Magpie left the store with The Wire. The Doctor and Nova eventually woke up moments after they left. "Supernova?" It was The Doctor's first instinct to make sure that his lover was alright. He reached over and cupped her face in his hands. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, my Doctor" She assured him. She took notice of Bishop and frowned. "But I don't think Bishop is" Tommy was starting to stir awake. "Tommy, sweetheart, wake up now!" 

"What happened?" He asked.

"Where's Magpie?" The Doctor wondered. He stood up, and then helped Nova onto her feet. Tommy stood up as well, and the three of them made their way into the street outside the shop.

"We don't even know where to start looking. It's too late"

"It's never too late, as a wise person once said. Kylie, I think. The Wire's got big plans. It'll need. Yes, yes, yes, it's got to harvest half the population. Millions and millions of people and where are we?"

"Muswell Hill"

"Muswell Hill. Muswell Hill! Which means Alexandra Palace"

"That's the biggest TV transmitter in North London!" Nova exclaimed. "Oh, that's why it chose this place"

"What are you two going to do?" Tommy wondered.

"We're going shopping" The Doctor gave as an answer before he went back inside the shop. Nova and Tommy followed after him.

* * *

Inside Magpie's shop, the three of them rummaged through drawers and boxes for potential parts they could use. Tommy had found a big valve. "Is this what you want?" Tommy asked, holding up the valve.

The Doctor grabbed the valve. "Perfect!" He added it to their pile of parts, and then handed the pile to Tommy. "Right, we need one more thing" They all ran outside and went to the Tardis. The Doctor popped inside to get the piece he needed and then came right back out. "Got it. Let's go"

* * *

The three of them made it to Alexandra Palace. "There!" Tommy announced, pointing at the tall transmitter.

"Come on!" The Doctor urged. They began running towards the transmitter. The two Time Lords flashed their psychic paper to the guard that they ran past.

"Oh! I'm very sorry, sir and madam. Shouldn't you be at the Coronation?" the guard asked.

"They're saving us a couple seats" Nova quickly improvised.

"Who did he think you two were?" Tommy wondered.

Both The Doctor and Nova looked at their psychic paper. Then they flashed their papers to each other. "The King and Queen of Belgium, apparently" The Doctor said.

* * *

The Doctor flipped on a switch in the control room. "Keep this switched on" He asked of Tommy. "Don't let anyone stop you, Tommy. Everything depends on it. You understand?" The Doctor grabbed a coil of copper wire.

"We believe in you, Tommy!" Nova smiled at the boy, before she and The Doctor ran out of the control room. They made a run for the transmitter, making their way past the guard from earlier. They began their climb up the transmitter. They had reached the top of the mast shortly after Magpie plugged in the portable television, and red energy started coming out of the mast.

"It's too late!" Magpie called out to them. "It's too late for all of us!"

"I shall consume you, Doctor and Nightingale!" the Wire threatened.

"We won't let you do this, Magpie!" The Doctor said.

"Help me, Doctor. Help me, Nightingale" Magpie cried. "It burns. It took my face, my soul"

"You cannot stop the Wire. Soon I shall become manifest" the Wire said.

"No more of this. You promised me peace!"

"And peace you shall have" The Wire electrocuted Magpie, and he was zapped into atoms. The Wire laughed maniacally. Nova made an attempt to grab the portable television, but her fingers were zapped.

"Ow!" She yelped in pain, shaking her hand. The Doctor shook his hand as well, as he felt the shock that she had received. "Looks like she's been burning the candle at both ends"

"And by doing so, she's over extended herself" The Doctor responded. "You shouldn't have had a crack at poor old Magpie there" He managed to grab the portable television. The Wire attempted to electrocute him, but he got no more than a shock. "Rubber soles, swear by them!" He plugged in the cable. That caused valves to blow down in the control room.

"Oh dear. Has our little plan gone horribly wrong, Doctor and Nightingale?" the Wire teased. She laughed a victorious laugh, but back in the control room, Tommy had plugged in the replacement valve he found in the store. The energy retreated back into the mast. "No!"

"It's close down, I'm afraid, and no epilogue" The Wire let out a scream before the screen on the portable television went blank.

* * *

The Doctor and Nova went back into the control room. Tommy was waiting nervously for them to return while the National Anthem played in the background. "Have we missed anything?" Nova chimed, making Tommy look at them.

"Doctor! Nightingale! What happened?"

"Sorted. Electrical creature, TV technology, two clever alien life forms. That's us by the way. We turned the receiver back into a transmitter and we trapped the Wire in here" The Doctor explained. He popped open a VCR and pulled out a tape. 

"We've just invented the home video thirty years early" Nova quipped.

The Doctor looked down at the tape. "Betamax" His attention was then diverted to the screens in front of them. "Oh, look. God save the Queen, eh?"

* * *

The Doctor, Nova, and Tommy went to Florizel Street where all the previously faceless people were crowding. Tommy saw his gran and ran to her. The Doctor and Nova saw Rose and Tate standing together. Rose looked over at them, giving them a big grin. The two Time Lords ran to her and the both of them engulfed her in a hug.

A party was set up in the street filled with music, dancing, and food. The Tardis team walked along the street. "We could go down the Mall, join in with the crowds" Rose suggested.

"Nah, that's just pomp and circumstance. This is history right here" The Doctor said.

"The domestic approach" Rose winked at Tate as she bumped her shoulder against his, referencing the remark Nova made to him earlier.

"Wouldn't have it any other way" Tate replied with a smile. "That thing, is it trapped for good on that video?"

"Hope so. Just to be on the safe side though, I'll use my unrivalled knowledge of transtemporal extirpation methods to neutralise the residual electronic pattern" The Doctor said.

Rose looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. "You what?"

"He's going to tape over it" Nova gave the simplified explanation.

"Oh, well he can leave that to me. I'm always doing that"

They had found Tommy and joined him. "Tell you what, Tommy, you can have the scooter" The Doctor offered. "Little present. Best, er, keep it in the garage for a few years though, eh?"

"Why not take both of them?" Nova added with a shrug. "You know, just incase"

Tommy saw his father exit the house wearing an overcoat and carrying a suitcase. "Good riddance" the boy muttered. Though it wasn't in annoyance. It was in relief. Eddie walked away from the house.

"Is that it, then, Tommy?" The Doctor asked him. "New monarch, new age, new world. No room for a man like Eddie Connelly"

"That's right. He deserves it"

"Tommy, go after him" Rose urged the boy.

"What for?"

"He's your dad"

"He's an idiot"

"Of course he is. Like I said, he's your dad. But you're clever. Clever enough to save the world, so don't stop there"

"You don't go after him and try to talk things out with him now, you're going to regret it" Tate added. Tommy ran after his father. He even carried his suitcase for him. The Doctor handed Nova, Rose, and Tate a glass of orange juice. He then grabbed one for himself. They all drank to a toast.

* * *

After the party, the four of them were making their way back to the Tardis. There was a woman who was walking by that had accidently bumped shoulders with Nova. "Oh, I'm very sorry Miss" the woman uttered out an apology. "I really must be more careful about where I'm going"

"Oh, it's alright" Nova assured the woman. The voice belonging to the woman was quite familiar to her. She was sure she had heard it somewhere before, but where? Nova didn't get a chance to see the woman's face, but she saw the short brown hair, and she could make out lips that were painted red. The woman seemed to walk off in a hurry. Nova stared at the woman until she disappeared from sight.

"Nova," Rose approached her. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Did you see that woman who bumped into me?"

Rose nodded her head. "Yeah. Why? Do you know her?"

"No, I don't think I do. But, this may sound silly, but I recognized her voice"

"Believe me, that's not the silliest thing I've ever heard" Rose linked her arm with Nova's and they started walking to the Tardis. "I've heard a lot of nonsense come out of The Doctor's mouth over the year I've been travelling with him"

Nova laughed at Rose's statement. "Rose, you remember that offer I made about us having a girls day? I said I'd take you to a roller rink in the seventies?"

"Yes! Can we go?" Rose pleaded with excitement. "Don't get me wrong, I love The Doctor and Tate, I really do, but it'd be nice to just have a girl's day"

"Get out your roller skates, Rose Tyler"

"Yes!" Rose squealed in excitement. They had reached the Tardis. Rose stepped inside first. Nova was about to step inside, when she looked back one last time. Something about the woman she bumped into was oddly familiar. But why?


	38. Teddy Bears and Lockets

The TARDIS team decided to break at Rose and Jackie's apartment. Rose and Tate were in Rose's bedroom. Rose was digging through her closet, looking for her roller skates. Tate sat on her bed. He had his phone in hand and stared at the screen. He had found an address. To be more specific, he had found the address belonging to his father, Kenneth Peltzer. Back in the other universe, the other version of his father urged him to seek out the real version of his father. The one he hadn't seen since he was seven years old. Tate had found out that his father had been living in Germany.

"Hey Tate" Rose's voice knocked him out of his trance. He looked up at her to see her holding up two pairs of roller skates. "So, I found these two, but which ones do you think I should wear?" 

"Huh?" Tate murmured.

"The roller skates? Y'know, because Nova and I are going to a roller rink in the seventies?" Rose reminded. "I like the pink ones because they go with the outfit I was going to wear, but then there's the blue ones that I like because they match the TARDIS"

"Oh, right" Tate pointed at the pink pair, though he couldn't care less about which ones Rose was going to wear. "The pink, I guess"

Rose could tell Tate was distracted. She sat down beside him. "Everything alright, Tate?" She asked, placing a comforting hand on his knee.

"You remember back in the other world? I told you about my dad, and then we met the other version of my dad?"

"Yep. Still quite fresh in my mind"

"Well, my other father told me to seek out my real father. So, since we returned from the other world, I've been searching for answers about where he might be. Then I found this" Tate gave Rose his phone so she could look at the address. "He lives in Germany now"

"Tate, this is wonderful!" Rose voiced her support. She gave him back the phone, and flashed a smile. "You know where he is. You could go see him"

"But Rose," Tate sighed. "What if he doesn't remember me? What if he does, but doesn't want to see me?"

"Tate, he's your father. Of course he'll want to see you" Rose assured him with a gentle squeeze of his knee. "If you don't decide to see him now, you're going to regret it. I know I'd give anything to have my dad with me again. Have a relationship with him"

Tate gave a small smile. "You know what Rose, you're right. I need to do this now, otherwise I know I'll never do it later" 

"There you go!" Rose grinned. "I'm sure if you ask The Doctor, he'd be willing to take you"

"Actually, I was hoping just Nova and I could go" Tate explained. "It's just that this is a personal venture of mine, and I'd be more comfortable if it was just me and her" His eyes widened when he realized how rude that sounded. "Not that I don't trust you and The Doctor, I do. You two are practically family, but--"

"I understand, and I'm sure The Doctor will as well" Rose eased. She pressed a kiss to Tate's cheek, which earned a blush from the boy. "Come on. Let's go tell them. The Doctor and I will think of something to do while you're reuniting with your father" The two of them sat up from the bed and joined hands as they made their way to the TARDIS, which was parked in the living room.

* * *

The moment Rose and Tate entered the TARDIS, they were immediately greeted by the sight of The Doctor and Nova in a heated and passionate moment. Nova was sitting on the railing, her fingers tangled in his hair, while The Doctor was standing in between her legs and his arms were wrapped securely around her waist, which kept her from falling. They were kissing each other like their lives depended on it. 

"Oi!" Rose called out, making the two Time Lords pull away from each other. Their faces were flushed and their lips were swollen. "Okay, you two are cute together and all, but please don't start snogging in places where we could just walk in on you"

"Yeah" Tate agreed. He then leaned in to whisper to Rose. "At least it was _just_ snogging" 

"Hey" Nova chimed, making both companions look at her. "If we were going to do more than just snogging, we would do it in the security of a room with a door and a bed"

Rose cringed her nose in disgust as she got a mental picture. "Please, I do not need those images in my head"

"Nor do I" Tate shook his head. "Anyways, Nova, could I speak to you? In private?"

"Oh, sure" She hopped off of the railing, and made herself look presentable. "Okay, Tate, let's go and talk"

"Thank you" Tate said, before walking off to another room of the Tardis. Nova was about to follow him, when her hand was grasped by The Doctor. 

"One more kiss?" he asked her sweetly. She smiled as she leaned in and pressed another kiss to his lips. Though Rose rolled her eyes, she did it with a grin on her face. The two of them were so cute. 

Tate peeked his head around the corner. "Nightingale!" 

"Coming, Tatum!" She finally followed after he friend. The Doctor watched her as she did, a lovesick smile plastered on his face.

Rose's grin morphed into a smirk. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked over to where The Doctor was. She stood beside him, leaning against the railing. "So, when's the wedding?" she joked with him.

"What?" The Doctor muttered. He broke out of his daze and looked at Rose. "What wedding?"

Rose laughed. She placed a hand on his arm. "I was joking, Doctor"

* * *

Nova and Tate found some privacy. "Alright, pretty boy, what is this about?" Nova asked him.

"It's about my father" Tate answered. He took out his phone and opened up the address. He presented it to Nova. "I found where he leaves"

"Oh, Tate! That's wonderful!" the Time Lady cheered. She pulled Tate into a hug. She squeezed him tightly as she rocked him back and forth. This lasted for about a minute, before she let go of him. "You know where he is. That means we can go see him"

"We?" Tate raised an eyebrow. "How did you know I was going to ask you to come with me?"

"Best friend intuition?" Nova answered with a shrug. Tate smiled at that. "I'll take you to Germany. We'll take my TARDIS. It's been awhile since Baby's traveled"

"Tim" Tate corrected. "Your TARDIS' name is Tim"

"You can call my TARDIS Tim all you like. He'll always be Baby to me"

"Hang on a moment" A light bulb flashed on in Tate's memory. "Isn't your TARDIS parked at the Avengers Tower?"

Nova reached into her pocket and pulled out her TARDIS key. It was one of those electronic car keys which have the buttons you press to lock and unlock your car. Nova's keys had a third button though. "I can summon my TARDIS using the materialise button"

* * *

The Doctor and Rose were both made aware of Nova and Tate's plans. The four of them stood outside in front of Nova's Volkswagen. "What are you two going to do while we're gone?" Tate asked.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something" Rose said with a shrug. "Right, Doctor?" She looked to him. Though, Rose already had something in mind that they could do. Hopefully it wouldn't involve a lot of running. She wanted to save that kind of adventure for when Nova and Tate returned.

"Oh, yes" The Doctor agreed. "We'll think of something"

"Well, whatever it is, please be careful" Nova said. She looked at Tate, and then gave him a pat on the back. "Shall we go then, pretty boy?"

"Yeah, let's go" Tate agreed. "The longer we wait, the more my nerves are on edge" The two of them said their goodbyes to The Doctor and Rose, and then stepped into Nova's TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose watched as the Volkswagen dematerialised.

"Okay, Doctor" Rose spoke up. She lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go then, yeah?" She turned to walk away but The Doctor stopped her.

"Go where, exactly?" The Doctor said, quirking an eyebrow.

"To the TARDIS, of course. I've got an idea of where I want to go in mind"

* * *

Nova's TARDIS materialised in front of small home in the city of Düsseldorf. Nova and Tate stepped out of the TARDIS and looked at the house. "Well, Nightingale," Tate said as he took a deep breath. "This is his house"

"It's a cute little home" Nova commented. "Shall we knock?"

"Ye...yeah" Tate stuttered with hesitation. "Let's go knock"

Knowing that her friend was jittery with nervousness, she took his hand in her own. "It's alright, Tate" Nova assured him. "I'm right by your side" The two of them approached the front door. With a deep breath, Tate raised his hand, closing it into a fist and knocking on the door.

"Kommen!" A woman called out in German. The front door opened. A beautiful blonde woman in her late thirties to early forties was on the other side. She offered a kind smile before asking the two, "Kann ich Ihnen helfen?"

Tate leaned in to whisper to Nova. "Isn't the TARDIS supposed to have a universal translator?" He asked. "Because I'm hearing German, and not English"

"Oh, my apologies" the woman said, now speaking English coated with a thick German accent. "You two aren't from around here, are you?"

"Er, no" Nova answered. "We like to travel a lot"

The woman's eyes lit up. "Oh, you're both from Ireland! Just like my husband"

"Husband?" Tate repeated. "Is your husband Kenneth Peltzer, by any chance?"

"Yes, he is. I'm his wife, Rebekah" the woman introduced herself. She even reached out to shake Nova and Tate's hands. "And who might you two be?"

"This is Nova Galvin" Tate introduced, motioning towards her. Nova waved with a smile. "And then my name is Tate. I'm---"

Rebekah cut him off. "You're Ken's son, aren't you?"

"I am"

A big grin grew on Rebekah's face. "Schatz, dein Sohn ist hier!"

"Worum geht es dir?" Tate heard the voice of his father speak in perfect German. Ken came to the door. He went wide eyed when he saw Tate. "Son, is that you?"

"It's me, dad"

"My son!" Ken cheered as he pulled Tate into a hug. "I'm so happy to see you again!" 

* * *

Meanwhile, Rose had convinced The Doctor to go with her to a bazaar on some alien planet. "Rose, why exactly did you want to come here?" The Doctor asked.

"Because," Rose began. She linked her arm with The Doctor's. "You and Nova are a couple now, so I thought it would be nice to help you find a gift for her. Y'know, something to represent your undying love for her"

The Doctor gave her a look. "You make it sound like we're looking for an engagement ring"

"I was actually thinking of something more like a pretty locket" Rose said which was followed by a grin. "But an engagement ring works too!"

"Alright, alright. Let's start looking around" The Doctor said. Rose cheered with excitement. The two of them began looking around the many stands. The Doctor was looking for the perfect locket for Nova. Rose even decided that while she was here, she would find something for Tate. Something had caught The Doctor's eye. He picked up the locket and inspected it.

"Did you find anything, Doctor?" Rose asked. She peeked over his shoulder to see what he was looking at. "Oh, that's gorgeous"

"Isn't it?" His eyes sparkled with amazement. The locket had a golden border with engravings. Behind the glass on the locket, was a series of clockwork gears, some small diamonds, and a large sapphire as blue as the TARDIS.

"She's going to love that, Doctor" Rose promised. 

"Ah, that is a lovely piece, isn't it?" the vendor asked when he joined them. "Tell me, my good man, are you shopping for this lovely lady over here?" The vendor pointed at Rose.

Rose shook her head. "Oh no, he's not shopping for me. He's shopping for his soulmate" She said that last part in a sing song voice.

"Rose!" The Doctor chastised in a harsh whisper.

The vendor let out a laugh. "No need to be embarrassed, sir. We have people coming through and looking for gifts for their soulmates all the time. If you're interested in this fine piece for your lady love, I'm willing to throw in a bonus gift" The vendor ducked down, disappearing behind the stand. He promptly shot back up into sight, only this time he had a velvet box in his hand. 

Rose's eyes widened. She recognized the kind of box and she knew what jewelry usually came inside it. "Is that going to be what I think it is?"

The vendor opened up the box. It revealed a ring to match the locket. "That's a ring" The Doctor blatantly pointed out.

"An engagement ring no less" Rose added.

"And I can throw it in as a gift with the locket" the vendor enticed. 

"Would you please excuse us for a moment?" The Doctor asked. The vendor nodded and he put the ring aside. The Doctor grabbed Rose by the arm and pulled Rose aside to discuss with her. "Isn't it a little too early for me to even think about proposing to Nova?"

"Don't act like you haven't already planned out the perfect wedding in your head" Rose sassed, placing her hand on her hips.

"I have not!" 

"Doctor," Rose's tone of voice turned more serious. "Does the idea of proposing to Nova scare you?"

The Doctor began to explain. "Everyone who I've ever cared about has left me. Everyone who's ever travelled with me has left me. I'm scared for the day when you're going to leave, and I'm scared for the day Tate is going to leave" He paused, but Rose gave him a small smile, urging The Doctor to continue on. "But nothing scares me more than the thought of Nova leaving me. I know she's like me. I know she can regenerate like I can. She can live as long as I can. But what if there's a force out there somewhere in the universe, and it's waiting for the day to take her away from me"

"Doctor, if you weren't meant to spend the rest of your life with Nova, the universe wouldn't have brought you two together" Rose spoke from her heart. "She's a Time Lady. You're a Time Lord. It just makes sense that you two should be together. And I know that the both of you will, until it's the end of time"

That's exactly what The Doctor needed to hear to give him the push he needed to get the ring with the locket. He went back over to the stand and slapped his hand down. "Vendor, you've got a deal!"

* * *

Ken and Rebekah offered the Nova and Tate stay for dinner. Rebekah placed some refreshments on the table in front of the two travellers. "So, are you two married?" She asked curiously. 

Nova and Tate looked at each other, and then they both let out a laugh. Ken and Rebekah gave each other confused glances. "Tate and I aren't married" Nova explained.

"Yeah, we're just close friends" Tate added on. "Besides, there is someone else I'm in love with. Her name is Rose" Nova was taking a sip of her water when Tate was saying that and she did a spit take. "In fact, I have a picture of her" Tate pulled out his phone and opened up a picture of Rose he had taken one day. He gave the phone to his father and step-mother.

"Tate, she's beautiful" Rebekah gushed.

"Yes, son" Ken said with a proud smile on his face. "You've picked well. She looks like a sweet girl" He gave the phone back over to his son. "And what about you, Nova? Have anyone special in your life?"

Nova blushed as she thought about her handsome Doctor. "I do, yes"

"Mama!" a child's voice called out.

"In der Küche" Rebekah called back. "Und sprechen Sie bitte Englisch. Wir haben Gäste" A small child around the age of six had entered the kitchen. She was a little blonde girl with bright blue eyes. Eyes that looked like she had been crying for days. She walked over to Rebekah. "Bridget, what's wrong?"

"I miss my teddy" Bridget whined. She looked over at Nova and Tate. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to cry in front of strangers"

"It's okay" Rebekah cooed, petting her daughter's hair. "Bridget, this lovely lady is Nova, and this handsome young man is your half-brother, Tate"

Bridget's eyes lit up. The sadness faded away and was replaced with happiness. "Brother? I have a brother?"

Tate smiled at the young girl. "It's very nice to meet you, Bridget"

"Bridget, you said you miss your teddy bear?" Nova asked.

The young girl nodded. Ken spoke up on her behalf. "We went to the park a few days ago, and despite our protests, Bridget insisted on bringing her teddy bear with her. She let Mr. Teddy out of her sight for a moment, and then he was gone"

"I miss Mr. Teddy a lot" Bridget added.

An idea suddenly popped up in Nova's head. "Is it alright if I show Bridget something?" Rebekah agreed with a nod. She urged her daughter to go with Nova, while Tate stayed behind. Bridget followed after Nova to her TARDIS. "Now, Bridget, I'm going to show you something quite amazing but you have to promise to keep it a secret, alright?"

"Okay!" Bridget said.

"Okay. Close your eyes" Bridget closed her eyes. Nova opened the back doors to her Volkswagen. She grabbed Bridget's hands and guided her inside. "Alright, Bridget, you can open your eyes now"

Bridget opened her eyes, and she gasped loudly when she saw the console room. "Are we inside your van?"

"Yes we are, but my van isn't really a van. It's a time machine and a spaceship" Nova kneeled down so that she was eye level with Bridget. "My real name is The Nightingale, and I'm an alien that travels throughout space and time"

"Does my brother travel with you?"

"Yes, he does. We also travel with two other friends"

"Can I go on a trip?"

"Maybe one day, when you're older"

"Do you promise?"

"I promise. Now, the reason I brought you in here was because I wanted to give you something" Nova stood up straight again and grabbed Bridget's hand. She brought the young girl into her collection room. Bridget's eyes widened at all the trinket's around her, and she wanted to look at everything, but she was taught to never touch another person's belongings without permission. "Ah, here he is" Nova grabbed something off of one of the top shelves. It was a teddy bear.

Bridget's eyes lit up when she saw the bear. "He's so cute! What's his name?"

"His name is Jupiter" Nova handed the bear to Bridget. "And I want you to good care of him"

"I can keep him?" Bridget wrapped her small arms around Nova's legs. "Thank you, Miss Nightingale. I will take really good care of Jupiter, I promise. Just like you promise that one day you'll take me on a trip, right?"

"I promise, Bridget. When you're older and you see my van or hear my name, or you see a blue box and meet a man named The Doctor, just say, "Take me to see the stars" and we will whisk you away on a trip"

Bridget's eyes lit up and a wide smile grew on her face as she hugged Jupiter close to her chest. "Take me to see the stars" the six-year-old repeated. "I'll do my best to remember that Miss Nightingale"

* * *

Nova and Tate were saying their goodbyes to Ken, Rebekah, and Bridget. "Nova, thanks again for giving Bridget the teddy bear" Rebekah said. "She absolutely loves him"

"Well, it was time for Jupiter to have a friend that would take care of him, and Bridget is a sweet girl. I knew she'd love him" Nova said. She smiled at the young girl and sent a wink in her direction. Bridget smiled and giggled in response.

Ken stepped forward so that he was standing directly in front of Tate. "Son, I can't tell you how happy I am that you came to see me" Ken wrapped his arms around Tate in a hug. "Just know, that you're welcome to visit anytime"

"Thanks, dad" Tate spoke softly. He barely noticed the tear that had slipped from his eye. "I love you, dad"

"I love you too, son" He pulled away and gripped his son gently by the shoulders. "And when you see your mum, tell her I said hi. Maybe bring her along next time you visit"

"Are you sure?" Tate asked. He looked over at Rebekah.

"Ken has told me about Deborah" Rebekah explained. "And despite what he's told me about her, I would love to have her in my home" She gave Tate a hug. "It was wonderful meeting you, my son"

"Thanks. You're a really wonderful and lovely lady" Tate spoke sincerely of her. He then crouched down so that he was eye level with Bridget. "And I'm assuming Nova has told you everything then, hmm?"

"She did!" Bridget nodded. "She said when I'm older, I can go on a trip with you" She looked up at her parents. "Could I? When I'm older?"

Ken and Rebekah smiled down at their daughter. Ken placed a hand on her shoulder, while Rebekah pet at her head. "I don't see why not" Rebekah promised.

"Speaking of trips, we should probably get back to The Doctor and Rose" Nova said. She opened the rear doors to the Volkswagen. The Time Lady hopped in first, and then her companion followed. 

Before Tate could shut the door, Ken stopped him by asking, "Don't one of you need to get in the front to drive?"

A knowing and excited smile appeared on Tate's face. "The thing is, we don't exactly drive this thing" Ken and Rebekah gave each other confused glances. Tate saw that. "You two will see what I mean" He looked to his sister. "Bridget, you're gonna love this" 

Tate closed the door. The family of three watched in bewilderment and amazement as Nova's Volkswagen TARDIS dematerialised in front of their eyes. Ken's mouth fell open, Rebekah's eyes rapidly blinked, as if they were trying to blink away an hallucination, and Bridget had a smile plastered on her face. Rebekah picked her daughter up. "Exactly what kind of trip did they promise to take you on?" She felt compelled to ask.

"Miss Nightingale promised to take me to see the stars" Was Bridget's answer. She got lost in her thoughts. A daydream. She couldn't help but imagine a day when she was older. The day The Nightingale and a man called The Doctor would come to take her on a trip to see the stars. 


	39. The Impossible Planet 8.1

The TARDIS materialised and the group of four stepped out of it. The blue box was in a very tight space. "I don't know what's wrong though. She's sort of queasy. Indigestion, like she didn't want to land" The Doctor said.

"Oh, if you think there's going to be trouble, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else" Rose suggested. The four of them all broke out in laughter.

"I think we've landed inside a cupboard. Here we go" The four of them walked on forward. They went through a door which brought them into some sort of junction. "Some sort of base"

"Moon base, sea base, space base" Nova listed off. 

"I used to build kits of those all the time when I was younger" Tate reminisced.

"Glad we're indoors. sounds like a storm out there" Rose mentioned, before they made their way into the next corridor.

"Human design" The Doctor mused. "You've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat pack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier" They walked along the corridor until they went into the next room. It was a small habitation area with a table and some chairs. There was also a big 3 on the wall.

"Oh, sanctuary base!" Nova chimed.

"Deep Space exploration. We've gone way out" The Doctor said. "And listen to that" He referred to the buzzing sound that was coming from below them. "Sounds like someone's drilling"

"Welcome to hell" Rose blurted out.

"Oh, it's not that bad" 

"Actually, Rose was reading off of the wall" Tate said. He pointed to said wall. The phrase WELCOME TO HELL was painted on the wall in big block letters. A vertical alien script was written underneath it.

"Hold on, what does that say?" The four of them moved closer to the wall. They attempted to read the alien script but it wasn't translating. "That's weird, it won't translate"

"But I thought the TARDIS translated everything, writing as well" Rose assumed. "We should see English"

"Exactly. If that's not working, then it means this writing is old"

"And how old would that be?" Tate wondered.

"Very old. Impossibly old" Nova answered. "We should find out who's in charge" She stepped over to the bulkhead door. She started to spin the wheel on it.

The Doctor continued on. "We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS' knowledge. Not a good move. And if someone's lucky enough---" They all yelped in surprise when Nova got the door open and it revealed aliens on the other side. They had tentacles where a mouth and nose would be. All of them had a tube going in behind the tentacles, and they carried a white globe in their right hands. These aliens were known as the Ood. "Oh! Right. Hello. Sorry. I was just saying, er, nice base"

The Ood's globes lit up. "We must feed" They all said in perfect unison. It seems that they communicated through the globes.

"You've got to what?" Nova asked.

"We must feed"

"Yeah, I think they mean us" Rose said. The TARDIS team backed away as the Ood came into the room. More of the Ood came in through the other doors. They all kept repeating, "We must feed" The Doctor and Nova got out their sonic screwdrivers, while Rose and Tate picked up chairs. The four of them were surrounded. 

"We must feed" Only one of the Ood spoke. It shook it's globe and then tapped on it. "You, if you are hungry"

"Sorry?" The Doctor muttered, lowering his sonic. Nova lowered hers as well. Rose and Tate both put down the chairs.

"We apologise. Electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshment?"

Door 18 opened and some humans walked through it. "What the hell?" The man named Jefferson said. The Ood cleared a path for him as he approached the TARDIS team "How did?" Jefferson turned on his wrist-com. "Captain, you're not going to believe this. We've got people. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. I mean four living people, just standing here right in front of me"

"Don't be stupid!" The voice that came through chastised. "That's impossible"

"I suggest telling them that"

"But you're a sort of space base" Rose stated. "You must have visitors now and then. It can't be that impossible"

"You're telling me you don't know where you are?"

"No idea. More fun that way" The Doctor added with a smile.

A woman's voice made a broadcast. "Stand by, everyone. Buckle down. We have incoming. And it's a big one. Quake point five on its way"

Jefferson opened a door, and he urged everyone to move through it. "Through here, now. Quickly, come on! Move!" Everyone moved through the door and into the corridor. As they were moving through it, some conduits go bang overhead. "Move it! Come on! Keep moving. Come on! Quickly! Move it!" They kept moving until they reached the safety of a control room. There was a whole team of people working inside it. Everyone turned their eyes to the four strangers.

"Oh my god, you meant it" a dark skinned man said. It was the same man that Jefferson spoke to on the wrist-com.

"People!" A woman beamed. It was the same woman that broadcasted the warning. "Look at that, real people!"

"Yep. People, that's us" Nova said.

"Yeah, definitely real" Rose nodded. She proceeded to make the introductions. "My name's Rose. Rose Tyler. That's Tate Peltzer. This is The Doctor, and then this the Nightingale, but just call her Nova"

"Come on" Another young man said. He got up from the chair he was sitting in. "The oxygen must be offline" He approached the TARDIS team. "We're hallucinating. They can't be" Once he got a good look at them, he knew for sure. "No, they're real"

"Come on, we're in the middle of an alert!" Zach reminded everyone, as if the alarms going off in the background wasn't an indicator. "Danny, strap up" Danny went back over to his seat. "The quake's coming in! Impact in thirty seconds!" There was a countdown clock on a screen. "Sorry you four, whoever you are. Just hold on, tight"

"Hold on to what?" Tate asked.

"Anything. I don't care. Just hold on" The four of them managed to find something to hold on to. "Ood, are we fixed?"

"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated" an Ood said.

"What's this planet called, anyway?" Nova wondered.

"Now, don't be stupid" A woman sitting in a chair jeered. Her name was Ida. "It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name? You really don't know, do you?"

"And, impact!" Zach screamed out a warning. The whole place shook, though it was only for a few seconds. 

"Oh, well that wasn't so bad" The Doctor spoke too soon as the whole place shook again. This quake was much more violent than the first one. Consoles burst into flames. The quake eventually came to a stop.

"Okay, that's it. Everyone all right? Speak to me, Ida"

"Yeah, yeah" Ida confirmed.

"Danny?"

"Fine" Danny confirmed.

"Toby?"

"Yeah, fine" Toby confirmed.

"Scooti?"

"No damage!" Scooti confirmed.

"Jefferson?"

"Check!" Jefferson confirmed.

"We're fine, thanks, fine. Yeah, don't worry about us" The Doctor said.

"The surface caved in" Zach explained. He looked at a schematic of the base. Part of it was flashing red. "I deflected it onto storage five through eight. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link"

"That's not my department" Toby objected.

"Just do as I say, yeah?"

Toby left the room just as Ida started relaying information. "Oxygen holding. Internal gravity fifty six point six. We should be okay"

"Never mind the earthquake," Rose spoke up. "that's, that's one hell of a storm. What is that, a hurricane?"

"You'd need an atmosphere for a hurricane" Scooti stated. "There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum"

"Well, if it's not a hurricane, then what is shaking the roof?" Tate wondered.

"You're not joking. You really don't know. Well introductions" Ida said. She started going around the room, pointing at everyone as she introduced them. "F Y I, as they said in the olden days. I'm Ida Scott, science officer. Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir. You've met Mister Jefferson, he's Head of Security. Danny Bartock, Ethics committee"

"Not as boring as it sounds" Danny added.

"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, Archaeology, and this is Scooti Manista, Trainee maintenance. And this? This is home" Ida pulled down a lever.

"Brace yourselves" Zach warned. "The sight of it sends some people mad"

The shutters overhead opened. They revealed a white, hot, angry disc with a black centre and black dots falling into it. The TARDIS team looked up at it. "That's a black hole" Rose put a name to the phenomena above them.

"That's impossible" The Doctor exclaimed.

"I did warn you" Zach said.

"We're actually standing underneath a black hole" Nova sputtered.

"In orbit" Ida added.

"But we can't be" both The Doctor and Nova said.

"You can see for yourself. We're in orbit"

"But we can't be"

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in. Discuss"

"That sounds bad" Tate concluded, looking between the two Time Lords. "That's bad, right?"

"It sounds bad" Rose agreed.

"Bad doesn't cover it. A black hole's a dead star. It collapses in on itself, in and in and in until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too" The Doctor explained. He looked towards Nova, urging her to add on.

"Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity, time. Everything just gets pulled inside and crushed" Nova finished for him.

"So, they can't be in orbit" Rose realized. "We should be pulled right in"

"We should be dead" The Doctor said.

"And yet here we are, beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board" Ida said.

"But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?" Rose wondered, pointing upwards.

"Stars breaking up. Gas clouds. We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads, before falling into that thing"

"Sounds just a bit worse than your storm theory, Rose" Tate recalled back to when Rose thought it was just a storm.

"Just a bit" 

Rose agreed with a nod. "Just a bit, yeah"


	40. The Impossible Planet 8.2

Everyone crowded around the central computer. Toby had also returned, announcing upon his arrival, "The rocket link's fine"

Zach pulled up a hologram. "That's the black hole, officially designated K three seven Gen five"

"In the scriptures of the Falltino, this planet is called Kroptor, the bitter pill" Ida began to explain. "And the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon. It was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out, because it was poison"

"The bitter pill" Rose repeated, then smiled amusingly. "I like that"

"We are so far out. Lost in the drifts of the universe. How did you even get here?!" The Doctor wondered.

"We flew in" Zach answered. He changed the image on the hologram. "You see, this planet's generating a gravity field. We don't know how. We've no idea. But it's kept in constant balance against the black hole. And the field extends out there as a funnel. A distinct gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in"

Rose raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed. "You flew down that thing?"

"Just like a rollercoaster" Tate added, an amused smirk on his face.

"By rights, the ship should have been torn apart" Zach admitted. "We lost the Captain, which is what put me in charge"

"You're doing a good job" Ida assured him.

"Yeah, well, needs must"

"But if that gravity funnel closes, there's no way out" Danny explained.

"We had fun speculating about that" Scooti added.

"Oh, yeah. That's the word" Danny bonked Scooti on the head with the roll of paper he was holding. "Fun"

"But that field would take phenomenal amounts of power" Nova exclaimed, feeling quite perplexed about the entire situation. She looked to The Doctor. "Wouldn't you agree, my dear Doctor?" She asked, wanting a second opinion.

"Oh, yes" The Doctor nodded in agreement. "And not just big amounts of power, but off the scale!" He pointed at the remote control that was situated near Ida. "Can I?"

Ida grabbed the remote. "Sure. Help yourself" She walked round the computer and over beside The Doctor and Nova. She gave The Doctor the remote.

An Ood approached Rose, and gave her the plastic cup it had in its hand. "Your refreshment" The Ood offered politely.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks" Rose took the cup. "I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"We have no titles. We are as one"

As the Ood walked away from Rose, Tate approached Danny and Scooti. "What are they called?" He wondered, pointing at the Ood. Rose also joined them, her cup of water in hand.

"Oh, come on. Where have you been living?" Danny asked. "Everyone's got one"

"Well, not us so, what are they?" Rose repeated Tate's question.

"They're the Ood" 

"The Ood?" Both Rose and Tate repeated.

"The Ood"

"Well that's ood" Rose joked with a play on words, making Tate chuckle beside her.

"Very ood, but handy" Danny went on about the Ood. "They work the mine shafts. All the drilling and stuff. Supervision and maintenance. They're born for it. Basic slave race"

"You've got slaves?"

"Don't start" Scooti told Danny. "She's like one of that lot. Friends of the Ood"

"Well maybe I am, yeah" Rose admitted with pride. She nodded towards Tate. "And he is, too. Since when do humans need slaves?"

"But the Ood offer themselves. If you don't give them orders, they just pine away and die" Danny explained.

One of the Ood approach. Tate took it upon himself to ask. "Do you honestly like being ordered about?" He honestly really liked the Ood. He found them to be really polite, and it's not everyday you come across polite aliens. He just wanted to be sure they weren't being taken advantage of.

"It is all we crave" the Ood answered.

"Why?"

"We have nothing else in life"

Rose and Tate both shared a knowing look. They both knew exactly how the Ood felt. Rose spoke on hers and Tate's behalf. "Yeah, well, we used to think like that, a long time ago" The two of them walked away and back over to the computer console, where they had walked in on The Doctor rambling.

"There we go. Do you see? To generate that gravity field, and the funnel, you'd need a power source with an inverted self extrapolating reflex of six to the power of six every six seconds"

"That's a lot of sixes" Rose commented.

"And it's impossible" Nova added.

"It took us two years to work that out" Zach said in awe of how quickly The Doctor and Nova figured it out.

"Well, individually, we're very good" The Doctor bragged, glancing in Nova's direction and smirking at her.

"But together," Nova took The Doctor's hand in her own, and laced their fingers together. "We're exceptional" She winked at her handsome boyfriend.

"But that's why we're here" Ida spoke up, moving the conversation forward. "This power source is ten miles below through solid rock. Point Zero. We're drilling down to try and find it"

"It's giving off readings of over ninety stats on the Blazon scale" Zach added on.

"It could revolutionise modern science" 

"We could use it to fuel the Empire" Jefferson suggested.

"Or start a war" The Doctor stated.

"It's buried beneath us, in the darkness, waiting" Toby poetically spoke.

"What's your job?" Rose wondered, looking over at Toby. "Chief dramatist?" That comment earned an amused smile from The Doctor, Nova, and Tate.

"Well, whatever it is down there is not a natural phenomena. And this, er, planet once supported life eons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk"

"There was that lettering written on the wall" Nova remembered. "Did you do that?"

Toby nodded. "I copied it from fragments we found unearthed by the drilling, but I can't translate it"

"No, neither can we" The Doctor admitted. "And that's saying something"

"There was some form of civilisation. They buried something. Now it's reaching out, calling us in"

The Doctor grinned as he glanced around at everyone. "And you came!"

"Well, how could we not?" Ida retorted.

Zach turned off the hologram. The Doctor went on. "So, when it comes right down to it, why did you come here? Why did you do that? Why?" He paused, looking over at Nova and pointing at her. "I know why, Supernova. Do you know why?"

Nova smirked and nodded. "Of course I do, Doctor" She looked to everyone else. "Because it was there. Groovy! Excuse me, er, Zach, wasn't it?"

"That's me" Zach nodded.

"Just stand there, because I'm going to hug you. Is that all right?"

"I suppose so"

Nova opened up her arms. "Here we go. Come on, then" Zach moved closer to her, and the two of them hugged. A smile appeared on Zach's face. When their hug came to an end, Nova began to happily chirp. "Oh, I love hugs!"

Tate sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Here we go" He muttered to himself. He knew that she was going into another 'Why hugs are the best thing in the whole universe ramble'.

"I think hugs should be the universal currency. No matter if you're scared, upset, or angry, a hug can make you feel better. Even when you're happy, a hug can increase that happiness by twelve percent" The Doctor and Rose were watching Nova ramble on with amused smiles on their faces, while everyone else was staring at her with puzzled looks on their faces. This wasn't new to Tate. In fact, her hug ramble saved their lives once. Although, it was because their captors got annoyed with her. "I just want to hug every single person in this room right now!"

"Nightingale" Tate warned, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're doing it again"

"Oh, am I?" Nova blushed in embarrassment. An awkward smile appeared on her face. "Sorry about that. I tend to ramble on about the most random things and I don't realize it until someone, usually Tate," Nova motioned towards the boy. "Stops me"

"I quite liked your ramble" The Doctor spoke up. He stepped up beside her. "You've got the right idea about hugs" He smiled and looked at Zach. He opened up his arms, offering a hug as well, which Zach accepted. "Oh, human beings. You are amazing! Ha! Thank you"

"Not at all" Zach said.

"But apart from that, you're completely mad. You should pack your bags, get back in that ship and fly for your lives"

"You can talk. And how the hell did you get here?" Ida questioned.

"Oh, I've got this, er, this ship. It's hard to explain. It just sort of appears"

"We can show you" Rose offered. "We parked down the corridor from er. Oh, what's it called? Habitation area"

"Three" Nova helped out Rose.

"Three" Rose repeated with a nod. "Three"

"Do you mean storage six?" Zach asked.

"It was a bit of a cupboard, yeah" The Doctor nodded as he thought it over. Everyone else seemed to have an 'oh crap' expression on their face. "Storage six. But you said. You said. You said storage five to eight" Realization washed over him. The Doctor grabbed Nova's hand, and the two of them made a mad dash. Rose and Tate gave each other confused glances before following the two Time Lords.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Rose yelled as they all ran down the corridor.

They went into Habitation 3. The Doctor ran to the door on the other side of the room. He started spinning the wheel that would open the door. "Open the door! Come on!" He growled in frustration. When the door opened, another mad dash was made down the following corridor. They reached another door at the end of it, but when The Doctor tried opening it, a voice said the door was out of commission. "It can't be! It can't be!" He furiously tried pressing a button over and over.

"What is going on?" Tate interrogated with a shout.

"Yeah, I'd like to know as well" Rose huffed. "Doctor, the TARDIS is in there. What's happened?"

"The TARDIS is gone" The Doctor answered. Nova felt her two hearts break at that answer. "The earthquake. This section collapsed"

"But it's got to be out there somewhere" Rose looked through the porthole. She saw the aftermath of destruction but no blue box anywhere in sight.

"Look down" Rose heard The Doctor say. She did just as he said and looked down, only to find that the ground surrounding the base was gone.

* * *

"The ground gave way" The Doctor began to explain to the others once the TARDIS team was back in the control room. "My TARDIS must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet. But you've got robot drills heading the same way"

"We can't divert the drilling" Zach explained.

"But I need my ship. It's all I've got" He paused, looking to Nova. "All we've got. Literally the only thing"

"Doctor, we've only got the resources to drill one central shaft down to the power source, and that's it. No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions. Your machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place, and that is the end of it"

"I'll er, put you on the duty roster" Ida suggested. "We need someone in the laundry" Every member of the crew left the room, leaving The Doctor, Rose, Nova, and Tate alone, save for one Ood. Rose and Tate were both standing together at the console, both of them looking down at their hands. The Doctor walked around to them and wedged himself in between them.

"I've trapped both of you here" The Doctor said.

"Don't worry about us" Tate tried to assure. Rose smiled and placed her hand over his, agreeing with Tate's sentiment. He looked over at Nova, who had a look of guilt on her face. "That goes for you too, Nightingale" There was another shake.

"Okay, we're on a planet that shouldn't exist, under a black hole and no way out" Rose summarized. "Yeah, don't know about Tate, but I've changed my mind. Start worrying about me" She squeezed Tate's hand looking for a sense of comfort. Instead, Tate ended up pulling Rose into a hug. She securely wrapped her arms around him in return, and buried her face into his chest.

An idea popped up into Nova's head, although she wasn't sure The Doctor would agree with her. Still, it wouldn't hurt to share her idea. She grabbed his hand and pulled him off to the side. "My love, why don't I just summon my TARDIS here and--"

The Doctor abruptly cut her off. "No, absolutely not" Nova opened her mouth to protest, but didn't get a chance to when The Doctor placed a finger over her lips. "I don't want you to argue with me about this, Supernova. I'm not risking you losing your TARDIS as well" 

Nova nodded and looked down at her black boots, feeling defeated, but she knew that her Doctor meant well. "Hey" She heard his soft voice coo. He placed a hand under her chin, and tilted her head up so that he could look her in the eyes. "We'll be okay" He then cupped her face in his hands. "No matter what happens, we'll still have each other. I'll be right by your side, and I'll protect you, no matter what"

Nova cracked a grin. "Promise me?"

The Doctor smiled in return. "I promise"

They sealed their promise with a kiss.


	41. The Impossible Planet 8.3

Everyone was in the habitation area. The Doctor and Nova both began to examine the script they had saw earlier, while Rose and Tate stood off to the side. Zach's voice broke through Danny's wrist-com. "Danny, check the temperature in Ood Habitation. It seems to be rising"

With a sigh, Rose parted from Tate. She was feeling a bit peckish so she decided to get some food. She joined Scooti at the serving area. "Help yourself" She welcomed Rose. "Just don't have the green. Or the blue"

Rose grabbed a tray and went over to the serving window. Of course, there was an Ood serving the food. She peeked her through the window so she could see the choices. "Er, bit of that, thanks" Rose pointed towards the blue one.

The Ood put a spoonful of the blue goop on Rose's tray. "Would you like sauce with that?" the Ood politely offered.

"I'll have a go, yeah" The Ood grabbed a bottle of sauce and poured it into the space beside the blue goop. "I did that job once. Tate too. I was a, a dinner lady, and he was a dinner boy" Rose thought back to their adventure back at the school. "Not that I'm calling you a lady. Although, I don't know, you might be. Do you actually get paid, though? Do they give you money?"

"The Beast and his Armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against God"

Rose stared blankly at the Ood. "I'm sorry?"

The Ood tapped it's sphere before speaking again. "Apologies. I said, I hope you enjoy your meal"

"Yeah" Rose walked back over to Tate. She joined him at the empty table he was sitting at. She took a seat across from him.

He looked down at her tray the moment she returned, and cringed in disgust. "What the hell is that?" He referred to the blue goop.

"I don't know. It's blue" Rose mumbled with a shrug. "The Ood that's serving said something very strange"

Tate quirked an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "What did it say?"

"Something about a beast and its army rising from the pit, and starting a war against God"

"Yeah, that is strange" Just as he said that, The Doctor and Nova joined them. The Doctor sat beside Tate, while Nova sat beside Rose.

"What's strange?" Nova asked. Just as she did, the lights began to flicker.

Ida spoke into her wrist-com. "Zach? Have we got a problem?"

"No more than usual. Got the Scarlet System burning up. Might be worth a look" Zach responded.

"You might want to see this" Ida turned off her wrist-com and directed her attention towards the two Time Lords. "Moment in history" She pulled down a lever, opening up the shutters above them. "There. On the edge. That red cloud. That used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi, a mighty civilization spanning a billion years, disappearing forever. Their planets and suns consumed. Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed its passing" Ida went to close the shutters. 

"Er, no, could you leave it open?" The Doctor pleaded with her. "Just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise"

"How would you know?" That earned Ida a grin from him. "Scooti, check the lockdown. Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me" Scooti and Jefferson went off to do their respective tasks. Ida also left the room.

"I've seen films and things, yeah" Rose began. "They say black holes are like gateways to another universe"

"Not that one. It just eats" The Doctor stated.

"Long way from home"

"Go that way, turn right, keep going for er, about, er, five hundred years, and you'll reach the Earth"

Rose reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "No signal"

Tate pulled out his phone, and tried it as well. No luck. "Yeah. No signal for me either"

"That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, even if we could. What would I tell her?" Rose looked to Tate. "What would you tell your mum? Or even your dad?" Rose then looked between the two Time Lords. "Can you two build another TARDIS?" A strained laugh followed her question.

"They were grown, not built" The Doctor explained.

"And with our own planet gone, we're kind of stuck" Nova added.

"Hey, the situation could be worse" Tate tried to lift up their spirits. "They did offer us a lift"

Nova smiled at her best friend. That's one thing she grew to like about Tate. He would always try to find the positive in any situation. "Then what?" She asked.

Tate shrugged, crossing his arms and then resting them on the table. "Find a planet, get a job, live a life, settle down" He said that part while glancing at Rose. She smiled. "Just live a life. Like the rest of the universe"

"Not a bad plan, that" Rose agreed.

The Doctor's gaze averted towards his lover, who was sitting across. He reached over and took her hands in his. "We'd have to settle down. Get a house or something. A proper house with, with doors and things. Carpets. Me, living in a house. Now that, that is terrifying" He brought Nova's hands up to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss to them. "But the thought becomes less terrifying if it means I get to spend the rest of my life with you"

Nova smiled lovingly at him. "Would we be married with children running about?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way"

"Don't mean to ruin the extremely cute moment between you two" Rose spoke up. The Doctor and Nova looked at her to find her staring at them with a goofy grin on her face. "But if you get a house, you'd have to get a mortgage"

Their faces both dropped. "No" 

"Oh, yes" Rose was very much enjoying this. Tate was trying his best to stifle in a laugh.

The Doctor began shaking his head. "I'm dying. That's it. I'm dying. It is all over"

Nova gasped dramatically and lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "And leave me as a widow? I think not!" She huffed, albeit jokingly. "Fine, if you die on me, I'll marry Tate"

"Hey! I'm marrying Tate!" Rose piped up. 

"If that's the case, we could all live together. Become housemates" Tate chimed in. "Because you two getting married isn't an excuse to leave us behind" The four friends all broke out into sudden laughter. "No, but seriously," Tate spoke with seriousness. "If you two ever actually become married, you aren't gonna leave us behind, right?"

"Of course they wouldn't, Tate" Rose eyed the couple carefully. "I am right about that, yes? And by the way," She looked directly at Nova this time. "I expect to be your maid-of-honor"

"You guys are talking like we're engaged" Nova pointed out. She then reminded them. "Which we're not"

"Well, not yet at least" Rose muttered quietly, then sent a wink in The Doctor's direction. She was getting giddy with the fact that she knew that he had already had a ring. "Who knows? He might even already have a ring"

"Rose!" The Doctor barked.

Nova went wide eyed when the realization came over her. "Doctor, is that true?" She asked softly. "Do you really have a...?"

"Yes" The Doctor admitted shyly. "But when I ask you, I want the moment to be perfect. Not when we're stuck in some base"

"I can understand that" Nova nodded. She then glanced up at the black hole. "Though, the sight of that black hole is oddly romantic"

"Yeah, nothing screams romance like a black hole" Rose quipped sarcastically. Her attention turned to The Doctor. He had an expression on his face that said he was thinking about something serious. "What's on your mind, Doctor?"

"I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home" The Doctor answered.

"Everyone leaves home in the end" 

"Not to end up stuck here"

"Yeah, but stuck with you three," Rose glanced around at everyone, a smile growing on her face. "That's not so bad" Suddenly, the two phones on the table on the phone started ringing. Rose answered her phone, and then Tate answered his. 

A voice said the same thing to both of them. "He is awake" That caused the both of them to throw their phones to the ground. 

"I'm guessing you heard that voice too?" Tate asked Rose.

"Deep and scary? Said he is awake?" Rose described. Tate nodded. "Then I definitely heard that voice too"

* * *

The TARDIS team joined Danny in the Ood habitation area. "Evening" The Doctor greeted.

"Only us" Rose added.

"The mysterious couples" Danny called them. "How are you, then? Settling in?"

"Yeah. Sorry, straight to business, the Ood how do they communicate? I mean, with each other" The Doctor asked curiously. All the Ood were sitting on benches down below the catwalk. Most of them were sitting back-to-back.

"Oh, just empaths. There's a low level telepathic field connecting them. Not that that does them much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle"

"This telepathic field. Can it pick up messages?" Nova pushed for information.

"Because I was having dinner, and one of the Ood said something, well, odd" Rose recalled.

"Hmm. An odd Ood" Danny said.

"And then we both got something on our," Tate paused. He wasn't sure if he should call them phones or not. Would Danny even know what a phone was? "Communication devices" He finished.

"Oh, be fair" Danny stopped for a moment to grab a clipboard. "We've got whole star systems burning up around us. There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing. Look, if there was something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill"

"Monitor the field. That's this thing?" The Doctor asked. He stepped in front of the computer that Danny was previously working at. The screen read BASIC 5.

"Yeah. But like I said, it's low level telepathy. They only register basic five"

BASIC 6. BASIC 7. BASIC 8. BASIC 9.

The screen continued to flash through more basic whatever, the number rapidly changing. "That is not basic five" Nova said, furrowing her eyebrows. "Ten, twenty" While The Doctor and Nova's attention were on the screen, Rose and Tate were watching the Ood below them. All of them lifted their heads. "Oh, look. Now it's reached basic thirty"

"But they can't" Danny uttered in disbelief.

"Doctor, Nova, the Ood" Rose gained their attention. The two Time Lords looked down at all the Ood, and the Ood stared back at them. "What does basic thirty mean?"

"Well, it means that they're shouting, screaming inside their heads" Danny explained as best he could.

"Or something's shouting at them" The Doctor concluded.

"But where is it coming from? What is it saying? What did it say to you?" Danny directed to Rose.

"Something about the beast in the pit" She answered.

"What about your communicators? What did they say?"

"He is awake" Tate answered this time.

"And you will worship him" all the Ood chanted.

"What the hell?" Danny muttered.

"He is awake" The Doctor repeated.

"And you will worship him" the Ood also repeated.

"Worship who?" The Doctor attempted to ask but there was no reply. He looked towards Nova. "Help me out here"

She gave a nod and tried questioning the Ood. "Who's talking to you? Who is it?" Nova didn't receive a reply either. Suddenly, a violent quake caused the base to shake again. Only this time it was for a different reason. Somehow, the base was open. Everyone immediately began the run to find safety. Everyone regrouped in the corridor just as the quake stopped. Well, everyone except for Scooti.


	42. The Impossible Planet 8.4

"Everyone all right?!" The Doctor checked in with everyone once the quake ceased. "What happened? What was it?"

"Hull breach" Jefferson answered. "We were open to the elements. Another couple of minutes and we'd have been inspecting that black hole at close quarters" Toby was down on the ground, gasping for breath. Rose crouched down to help him.

"That wasn't a quake" Nova concluded with a shake of her head. "What the hell was it?"

"And what caused it?" The Doctor added.

"We've lost sections eleven to thirteen" Zach's voice broke through Jefferson's wrist-com. "Everyone all right?"

"We've got everyone here except Scooti" Jefferson responded. "Scooti, report" No answer. "Scooti Manista? That's an order. Report"

"She's all right" It wasn't Scooti who responded but Zach yet again. "I've picked up her biochip. She's in Habitation three. Better go and check if she's not responding. She might be unconscious" When no one was looking, Toby glanced down at his hands. It was as if there was something that was previously on his skin, but it wasn't there anymore. "How about that, eh? We survived"

"Habitation three. Come on. I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink. Come on" Jefferson began walking and everyone followed after him. Well, everyone except Toby, and the TARDIS team. Toby was still on the ground. Rose was still crouched beside Toby. Tate remained standing, looking down at him. The two Time Lords crouched in front of Toby. They could tell he had seen something troubling. 

"What happened?" The Doctor asked him.

"I don't. I don't know" Toby sputtered. "I was working and then I can't remember. All that noise. The room was falling apart. There was no air"

"Come on. Up you get" Rose said as she helped Toby to his feet. "Come and have some protein one" They all began walking down the corridor.

"Oh, you've gone native" The Doctor commented.

"Oi, don't knock it. It's nice. Protein one with just a," Rose clicked her tongue. "dash of three"

* * *

The TARDIS team entered Habitation 3 with Toby. When they got in there, everyone seemed to be arguing about the whereabouts of Scooti. Turns out, she wasn't in Habitation 3. Jefferson spoke into his wrist-com. "Zach, We've got a problem. Scooti's still missing"

"It says Habitation 3" Zach replied.

"Yeah, well, that's where I am, and I'm telling you she's not here"

The Doctor glanced upwards. The shutters were still open, which meant the black hole was on full display. Something else, however, caught his eye. "I've found her"

Rose gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. "Oh, my God" She stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over her own feet, but Tate placed a hand on her back to steady her.

There was Scooti, right above them, drifting away towards the black hole. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" The Doctor apologized.

"Captain" Jefferson turned on the wrist-com again. "Report Officer Scootori Manista PKD, deceased. Forty three K two point one"

"She was twenty" Ida lamented. "Twenty years old" She pulled the lever that closed the shutters.

Jefferson began to quote Horatius by Thomas Babington Macaulay. "For how should man die better than facing fearful odds? For the ashes of his father and the temples of his Gods" There was a moment of silence between everyone, but it wasn't for remembrance. There was a whirring sound that had come to a halt.

"It's stopped"

"What was that?" Rose questioned. "What was it?"

"The drill" The Doctor answered.

"We've stopped drilling" Ida added. "We've made it. Point Zero"

* * *

The TARDIS team went to the drilling area along with Zach and Ida. "Capsule established. All systems functioning. The mineshaft is go. Bring systems online now" Ida announced. She was dressed in a space suit.

The Doctor and Nova approached Zach. The two of them were also dressed in space suits. "Reporting as volunteers for the expeditionary force" The Doctor said.

"Doctor and Nightingale, this is breaking every single protocol" Zach warned. "We don't even know who you are"

"But you trust us, right?" Nova said with a grin. "And you can't let Ida go down there on her own" 

"Believe me, my Supernova can make a very convincing argument" The Doctor said. "I don't want her going down there, but here we are"

"Hey, like we said earlier" Nova looked at her Doctor. "Individually we're good, but together we're exceptional" She then turned her attention back to Zach. "Back on the topic of trust. Go on. Look us both in the eye. Yes you do, I can see it. Trust"

"I should be going down" Zach tried convincing them.

"The Captain doesn't lead the mission. He stays here, in charge" The Doctor said. He craned his head to look at Nova again. "Although, if Nova is willing to change places with you then--"

"Not gonna happen, Doctor" She quickly cut him off. The Doctor looked at Zach and gave a shrug as if to say, 'I tried'.

Zach let out a chuckle because of the two of them. He then responded to The Doctor's earlier comment. "Not much good at it, am I?" He then turned to address everyone else. "Positions! We're going down in two. Everyone, positions! Mister Jefferson! I want maximum system enhancement" 

Zach walked away, and in his place, Rose and Tate approached the two Time Lords. "Oxygen, nitro balance, gravity. It's ages since I wore one of these" The Doctor said.

"This is a first for me" Nova mentioned, looking down at herself and examining every inch of her suit. "Have to say. It's more comfortable than you'd think"

"We want those spacesuits back in one piece, you got that?" Rose said.

"Yes, sir" The Doctor nodded. Nova saluted and winked at Rose. The both of them then proceeded to put on their helmets.

"It's funny, because people back home think that space travel's going to be all whizzing about and teleports and anti gravity"

"It's not though, is it?" Tate added with a shake of his head. "It's tough"

"We'll see you two later" The Doctor promised.

Rose grinned. "Not if we see you first" She placed a kiss to The Doctor's helmet first, and then she placed one to Nova's helmet. She kissed them both in the spot where their forehead was.

"Just think happy thoughts while you're down there" Tate suggested. He hugged The Doctor and then he hugged Nova. While he hugged Nova, he kissed the spot on her helmet where her cheek was. "Remember, happy thoughts"

The Doctor and Nova got into the capsule with Ida. Zach began the countdown. Rose and Tate stood off to the side, holding each other's hands in anticipation. They both looked through the window of the capsule and gave a wave to The Doctor and Nova. The both of them waved back, right before the capsule began lowering.

Zach kept watch of the capsules descent on a monitor. He took noticed as the numbers on the screen turned red. "You've gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own" He warned the Ida, The Doctor, and Nova. The three of them turned on their life support.

"Don't forget to breath" Rose spoke through the com. "Breathing's good"

"Rose, stay off the comm"

"No chance"

The capsule began to shudder more than usual. It then suddenly dropped. The drilling area also shook, and when it was still again, Tate took the com from Rose. "Doctor? Nightingale? You two alright?"

Zach's monitor showed that the capsule had reached Point Zero. "Ida, report to me. Doctor? Nightingale?"

"It's all right. We've made it. Getting out of the capsule now" The Doctor confirmed. The three of them stepped out. They shined their flashlights around, trying to get a good look at the area that they had now found themselves in.

"What's it like down there?" Rose had taken the com again.

"Hard to tell" Nova replied. "We're in a cave, I think. Or is it a cavern? I don't know, same difference. But whatever it is, it's massive"

"Well, this should help" Ida spoke up. She was holding a glowing ball. "Gravity globe" She threw it up and it illuminated the entire cavern. The three of them were in awe at the size of the cavern, and quite frankly, the beauty of it as well. Ida in particular was rather speechless. "That's, that's. My God, that's beautiful"

"Rose, Tate," The Doctor began. "You can tell Toby we've found his civilization" The walls of the cavern were carved into pillars and statues.

Rose chuckled as she yelled over at Toby. "Oi, Toby. Sounds like you've got plenty of work"

Toby was sitting on the ground. He still seemed quite shaken up over something. "Good, good. Good"

"Concentrate now, people. Keep on the mission. Ida, what about the power source?" Zach pushed her for information. 

The three down in Point Zero started making their way through the cavern. Ida walked in front, leading the way. The Doctor and Nova walked side by side, following behind her. "We're close. Energy signature indicates north north west. Are you getting pictures up there?" Ida wondered.

"There's too much interference. We're in your hands"

"Well, we've come this far. There's no turning back"

"Oh, did you have to? No turning back?" The Doctor bleated. "That's almost as bad as nothing can possibly go wrong, or this is going to be the best Christmas Walford's ever had"

"Or break a leg!" Nova added on to the ramble. "Sure, everyone says it's showbiz talk for good luck, but I've know quite a number of people who've had their legs injured after they were told that. Having your legs literally break is not good luck"

Ida turned to face them, already feeling exhausted from their company. "Are you two finished?"

The two Time Lords looked at each other, and then looked at Ida. Nova gave a shrug, while The Doctor simply nodded and said, "Yeah. Finished"

* * *

Back on the base, Danny's voice broke through the com. "Captain, sir. There's something happening with the Ood"

"What are they doing?" Zach asked.

"They're staring at me. I've told them to stop, but they won't"

"Danny, you're a big boy. I think you can take being stared at"

"But the telepathic field, sir. It's at basic one hundred. I've checked. there isn't any fault. It's definitely one hundred"

"But that's impossible"

"What does basic one hundred mean?" Tate asked.

"They should be dead" Danny stated.

"Basic one hundred's brain death" Jefferson added on.

"But they're safe. They're not actually moving?" Zach asked for clarification.

"No, sir" Danny clarified.

"Keep watching them. And you, Jefferson? Keep a guard on the Ood"

"Officer at arms!" Jefferson called out.

A crewman approached. "Yes, sir" The crewman and Jefferson both grabbed guns.

Rose was astounded. "You can't fire a gun in here. What if you hit a wall?"

"She's right" Tate agreed with Rose's reasoning. Thus, he added on to it. "If it ricochets, you'll be doomed. Or if you make a hole, we'll lose oxygen and then everyone will be doomed"

"I'm firing stock fifteen. It only impacts upon organics" Jefferson assured them, but honestly it wasn't that assuring. He turned to face one of the guards. "Keep watch. Guard them" Jefferson referred to the three Ood in the room with them.

"Yes, sir" the guard responded.

"Is everything alright up there?" The Doctor's voice broke through.

"Yeah, yeah" Rose said.

"It's fine" Zach agreed.

"Great" Danny muttered.

* * *

Ida, The Doctor and Nova found themselves in an area with lots of rubble and a big round decorated door in the floor. "We've found something" The Doctor said. "It looks like metal. Like some sort of seal. I've got a nasty feeling the word might be trapdoor. Not a good word, trapdoor. Never met a trapdoor I liked"

"The edge is covered with those symbols" Ida added.

"Do you think it opens?" Zach asked.

"Well, if it's a trapdoor, then obviously it'll open" Nova said, tilting her head to the side as she looked down at the door. "Would kind of defeat the purpose of a trapdoor if it didn't"

"Trapdoor doesn't do it justice" Ida remarked. She began walking the perimeter of the door. "It's massive, Zach. About thirty feet in diameter"

"Any way of opening it?" Zach wondered.

"I don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism" 

"I suppose that's the writing. It'll tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation" The Doctor said.

"Toby, did you get anywhere with decoding it?" Zach asked.

"Toby, they need to know that lettering. Does it make any sort of sense?" Rose asked on Zach's behalf.

"I know what it says" Toby answered quietly.

"Then maybe you should tell them" Tate urged.

"When did you work that out?" Jefferson piped in.

"It doesn't matter, just tell them" When Toby got up from his chair, he looked over at Rose, Tate, and Jefferson. He had the symbols all over his skin. Not only that, but his eyes were a dark red.

"These are the words of the Beast" Toby told in an unusually deep voice. "And he has woken. He is the heart that beats in the darkness" Jefferson stepped in front of Tate and Rose, readying his weapon. Tate then stepped in front of Rose, feeling the need to protect her from Toby. She didn't object. Instead, she gripped onto Tate's shoulder. "He is the blood that will never cease. And now he will rise"

"Officer, stand down. Stand down" Jefferson warned. He was ready to fire his gun at Toby if he tried anything.

The Doctor and Nova were able to hear what was happening, and they were growing concerned. "What is it? What's he done?" The Doctor began to ask questions. "What's happening? Rose, Tate, what's going on?"

"Jefferson? Report. Report!" Zach demanded.

"Officer, as Commander of Security," Jefferson tried talking down Toby. "I order you to stand down and be confined. Immediately!"

"He's come out in those symbols all over his face. They're all over him" Rose mumbled in a panic.

"Mister Jefferson. Tell me, sir. Did your wife ever forgive you?" Toby asked.

"I don't know what you mean" Jefferson answered, though there was a moment of hesitation before he did.

"Let me tell you a secret. She never did"

"Officer, you stand down and be confined"

"Or what?"

"Or under the strictures of Condition Red, I am authorised to shoot you"

"But how many can you kill?" Toby challenged before the red in his eyes glowed bright. He opened his mouth. A quiet scream came out as the writing started to leave his body. The symbols moved over onto the Ood. All of them jerked to attention. Toby collapsed to the ground. The Ood all slowly turned their heads and looked right at Jefferson, Rose and Tate. Honestly, the way they stared so blankly was something straight out of a horror movie.

"We are the Legion of the Beast" the Ood chanted.

"Rose! Tate! What's going on!?" Nova asked. She didn't get an answer. She looked over at Ida. "I'm going back up" She turned to look at The Doctor. "Doctor?"

"I'm coming with you" He said.

"Report. Report!" Zach repeated. "Jefferson, report. Someone, report!"

"The Legion shall be many, and the Legion shall be few" the Ood chanted.

Rose now decided to inform The Doctor and Nova about what was going on. "It's the Ood"

Jefferson spoke into his wrist-com, most likely to inform Zach of the situation. "Sir, we have contamination in the livestock. They won't listen to us"

Rose handed the com off to Tate. She was too much in a state of shock and panic to elaborate. "Doctor, Nightingale," He began in a shaky voice. He was honestly just as scared as Rose was. "Like Rose said, it's the Ood. We don't know what it is. It's like they're possessed"

"He has woven himself in the fabric of your life since the dawn of time. Some may call him Abaddon" the Ood said. One of the Ood in the Ood Habitation area, where Danny was, started walking towards the man. "Some may call him Kroptor. Some may call him Satan or Lucifer. Or the Bringer of Despair, the Deathless Prince, the Bringer of Night" 

"Captain, it's the Ood. They're out of control!" Danny tried informing Zach.

The Ood that had left formation was now standing right in front of Danny and the guard that was with him. The Ood released it's globe, and it attached itself to the guard's forehead. The guard was electrocuted. "These are the words that shall set him free" Danny took that as a sign to run.

The three Ood with Rose, Tate, and Jefferson began approaching them. "Back up to the door!" Jefferson urged. Tate and Rose, along with another guard that was with them, followed Jefferson's orders. "Move quickly! To the door! Get it open!"

"I shall become manifest. I shall walk in might. My Legions shall swarm across the worlds"

The trapdoor that Ida, The Doctor, and Nova were standing in front of sank. Well, the middle of it anyway. The ground was also beginning to shake. "Doctor, Nightingale, it's opening!" Ida informed the other two. The whole door eventually opened to reveal a deep shaft underneath it.

Zach was struggling to stay on his feet as the entire base was shaking as well. "We're moving! The whole thing's moving. The planet's moving" He opened up the overhead shutters.

Rose, Tate, and Jefferson were backed all the way to the door. "Get the door opened!" Jefferson urged in a haste.

"The gravity field. It's going!" Zach explained to anyone that could hear him. "We're losing orbit! We're going to fall into the black hole!"

Rose and Tate struggled to get the door open as the Ood continued to chant. "I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more. The Pit is open. And I am free"


	43. The Satan Pit 9.1

"Open fire!" Jefferson called, pointing his gun at the approaching Ood. He and the guard started shooting at them.

"We're stabilising" Zach announced. He closed the overhead shutters in the control room. "We've got orbit"

Once the Ood were down, Rose and Tate rushed back over to the com. Rose picked it up and spoke into it, hoping that they could hear her. "Doctor? Nova? Can you two hear me? Doctor, Nova, Ida, are you there?"

Tate gave Rose a worried look when they didn't respond. "Rose, do you think they're okay?"

Door 25 began to open. Jefferson and the guard pointed their guns at it, thinking more Ood were coming through. It was just Danny. "It's me! But they're coming" He warned. "It's the Ood. They've gone mad"

"How many of them?" Jefferson asked.

"All of them! All fifty!"

"Danny, out of the way" Jefferson moved closer to the door, his gun ready to shoot. "Out of the way!" He pushed Danny out of the way.

"But they're armed!" Danny tried explaining to Jefferson. He ignored the warnings and proceeded to open the door. "It's the interface device. I don't know how, but they're using it as a weapon"

Jefferson opened the door and there was a line of Ood waiting on the other side. The Ood in front stepped forward, and touched it's globe to the guard's forehead. She screamed out as the Ood electrocuted her. She fell to the ground, and Jefferson began to fire at the Ood.

Zach attempted to make an exit out of the control room. Unfortuneatly, as soon as he stepped out into the corridor, he saw a line of Ood coming towards him. He quickly reentered the control room. "Lockdown" He said, typing in a code on the keypad next to him. "Seal door 1" He walked back over to the main console.

Jefferson's voice broke through Zach's wrist-com. "Seal door 24. Seal door 23"

"Jefferson, what's happening there?"

"I've got very little ammunition, sir. How about you?"

Zach walked over to a panel on the wall and opened it up. It revealed a bolt gun inside it. "All I've got is a bolt gun" He took the gun and examined it. "With er, all of one bolt. I could take out a grand total of one Ood. Fat lot of good that is"

"Given the emergency I recommend strategy nine"

"Strategy Nine. Agreed. Right, we need to get everyone together. Rose? Tate? What about Ida, The Doctor, and the Nightingale? Any word?"

"We can't get a reply" Tate responded in a shaky tone.

"Tate's right" Rose cried. "Just nothing. We keep trying, but it's--"

"No, sorry," The Doctor's voice broke through. "We're fine. Still here"

"You could've said, you stupid---"

That last bit was cut off when feedback played. "Whoa. Careful! Anyway, it's the three of us. Me, Supernova and Ida. Nova, say hello!"

"Hello!" Nova chirped up. "Like The Doctor said, we're fine. But the seal opened up. It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm"

"How deep is it?" Zach asked.

"Can't tell. It looks like it goes down forever"

"The pit is open" Rose said. "That's what the voice said"

"But there's nothing. I mean," Zach spoke up. "There's nothing coming out?"

"No, no. No sign of the Beast" The Doctor said.

"It said Satan" Tate corrected.

"That's right" Rose agreed. "It did"

"Come on, you two. Keep it together" The Doctor told the two companions.

"Is there no such thing? Doctor. Nightingale"

"Please, tell us that there is no such thing" Tate pleaded.

"Ida," Zach piped up. "I recommend that you withdraw. Immediately"

"But, we've come all this way" Ida protested.

"Okay, that was an order. Withdraw. When that thing opened, the whole planet's shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole. So this thing stops right now"

"But it's not much better up there with the Ood"

"I'm initiating strategy nine, so I need the two of you back up top immediately, no ar--" Zach was cut off when Ida disconnected the coms.

Ida looked at The Doctor and Nova. "What do you two think?"

"I think they've an order" The Doctor answered.

"Yeah, but what do you think?" 

Nova stepped closer to the seal and looked down it. "It said, I am the temptation" She repeated the Beast's words.

"Well, if there's something in there, why is it still hiding?"

"Maybe we opened the prison but not the cell" The Doctor suggested.

"We should go down" Ida professed. "I'd go. What about you two?"

"Oh. Oh, in a second, but then again, that is so human. Where angels fear to tread. Even now, standing on the edge" The Doctor began to monologue. "It's that feeling you get, eh? Right at the back of your head. That impulse. That strange little impulse. That mad little voice saying, go on. Go on. Go on. Go over. Go on. Maybe it's relying on that. For once in my life, Officer Scott, I'm going to say retreat" He stepped back from the seal. "Oh, now I know I'm getting old"

"Yeah" Nova glanced down the chasm once more. "Retreat sounds good. Some things are worth taking a gamble on, but whatever is down there" She pointed down the hole. "It's just not worth it. Rose, Tate, we're coming back"

Rose and Tate both looked at each other with the same relieved smiles. "Best news I've heard all day" Rose said.

"Me too" Tate agreed. He turned to see Jefferson pointing his rifle at Toby, then grew concerned. "What are you doing?"

"He's infected" Jefferson accused. Toby cowered against the wall. "He brought that thing on board. You saw it"

"Are you going to start shooting your own people now?" Rose spoke up. "Is that what you're going to do? Is it?"

"If necessary"

"Well then, you'll have to shoot me if necessary"

Tate stepped beside Rose, taking her hand in his. He stood united with Rose, no matter what. "That goes for me as well" He informed. "So what's it going to be?" 

Rose lowered herself so that she was level with Toby. "Look at his face. Whatever it was, is gone. It passed into the Ood. You saw it happen. He's clean"

"Any sign of trouble, I'll shoot him" Jefferson warned. 

Jefferson walked away. Rose checked in on Toby. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah" Toby shook his head, feeling confused about everything. "I don't know"

"Can you remember anything?"

"Just, it was so angry. It was fury and rage and death. It was him. It was the devil"

"Come on" Rose pulled the terrified Toby into a hug.

* * *

The Doctor, Nova, and Ida returned to the capsule. "What's strategy nine?" The Doctor asked the question that was weighing on his mind.

"Open the airlocks. We'll be safe inside the lock down. The Ood will get thrown out into the vacuum" Ida explained.

"So we're going back to a slaughter?" That thought didn't sit well with The Doctor, and neither did it sit well with Nova.

"The devil's work" Ida turned her com back on. "Okay, we're in. Bring us up"

"Ascension in three, two, one" Jefferson counted. Then the power just had to go out.

"This is the darkness. This is my domain" the voice began speaking again. The monitors flickered with images of the Ood on them. "You little things that live in the light, clinging to your feeble suns which die in the..."

"That's not the Ood" Zach concluded. "Something's talking through them"

"Only the darkness remains"

"This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane of Sanctuary Base Six, representing the Torchwood archive. You will identify yourself"

"You know my name"

"What do you want?"

"You will die here. All of you. This planet is your grave"

"It's him" Toby muttered. "It's him. It's him"

"If you are the Beast, then answer me this. Which one, hmm?" The Doctor challenged. "Cos the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky"

"He's right, you know" Nova backed him up. She then began to list off. "You've got The Archiphets, Orkology, Christianity, Pash Pash, New Judaism, San Klah, Church of the Tin Vagabond. Which devil are you?"

"All of them" the voice answered.

Nova scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, you can't be all of them"

"What, then you're the truth behind the myth?" The Doctor continued on.

"This one knows me as I know him. Both of you do. The killer of his own kind, and the one who abandoned her own people. Instead of fighting to protect them, she ran like a scared little child"

"How did you end up on this rock?"

"The Disciples of the Light rose up against me and chained me in the pit for all eternity"

"When was this?" Nova chimed in.

"Before time"

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked.

"Before time"

"Okay, yeah, you said before time. We want to know what it means" Nova clarified, a slight twitch coming to her eye. Whatever this Beast was, it was starting to annoy her. "And you can't say before time!"

"Before light and time and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created"

"That's impossible. No life could have existed back then" The Doctor explained.

"Is that your religion?"

"It's a belief"

"You know nothing. All of you, so small. The Captain, so scared of command. The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist, still running from Daddy. The little boy who lied. The virgin. And the lost girl, so far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon. The brave boy will mourn her when she's gone. He wants to go with her, but he will be forced to leave her behind. He will suffer from a broken heart"


	44. The Satan Pit 9.2

Rose and Tate became rattled at what the Beast had said. It had referred to the both of them by different titles. Rose, the lost girl, and Tate, the brave boy. The two of them gave each other confused glances, before Rose raised the com to her mouth to speak. "Doctor, Nova, what does that mean?"

"Rose, don't listen" The Doctor told her. "That goes for you too, Tate. Don't listen to it"

"What does it mean?" Rose asked again, ignoring The Doctor's request.

"You will die and I will live" the Beast said. The image of the Ood on all the screens was replaced by a roaring horned beast. Everyone jumped a bit at the sudden sight of it.

"What the hell was that?" Danny asked, eyes widened in fright.

"I had that thing inside my head" Toby muttered.

"Doctor, Nightingale, what did it mean?" Rose was still on about it.

"I'd like to know too, please!" Tate demanded, raising his voice a smidge. "Please, tell us!"

"What do we do?" Danny said. "Jefferson?"

"Captain? What's the situation on strategy nine?" Jefferson asked.

"Zach, what do we do?"

"The planet, the orbit, the black hole. Everything's true" Toby was still muttering.

"Captain, report" Jefferson said.

"We've lost pictures, Mister Jefferson" Zach informed him.

"Doctor, how did it know all of--" Rose demanded once more.

"Nightingale, you explain to me right now--" Tate spoke over Rose.

"Did anyone get an analysis?" Ida asked.

Everyone was now speaking over each other. No one get a word in inch wise. The Doctor and Nova looked at each other, the same look of annoyance written upon their face. They needed to put a stop to this commotion. "Stop!" The Doctor tried. No one did. He tried again. "Everyone just stop!"

"Let me try something" Nova said. She sent the high shrill of the feedback through the coms which made everyone stop. "Alright, Doctor. The floor is yours"

"Thank you, Supernova" He smiled at her, before his face turned serious and he addressed everyone else. "You want voices in the dark then listen to mine. That thing is playing on very basic fears. Darkness, childhood nightmares, all that stuff"

"But that's how the Devil works" Danny retorted.

"Or a good psychologist" Nova countered.

"Yeah, but how did it know about my father?" Ida questioned.

"Okay, but what makes his version of the truth any better than mine, hmm?" The Doctor asked. "Cos I'll tell you what I can see. Humans. Brilliant humans. Humans who travel all the way across space, flying in a tiny little rocket right into the orbit of a black hole, just for the sake of discovery. That's amazing! Do you hear me?"

"He's right, you know" Nova agreed with everything The Doctor said. "Amazing, all of you. The Captain, his Officer, his elders, his juniors, his friends. All with one advantage. The Beast is alone. We are not. If we can use that to fight against him--" She was suddenly cut off when the cable to the capsule snapped. The snapped cable fell down into the shaft.

"The cables snapped!" Ida shrieked.

"Get out!" The Doctor yelled. The three of them got out of the capsule. They threw themselves to the ground as alleged miles of steel cable arrives at speed.

"Doctor, Nova, we lost the cable!" Rose informed. "Are you two all right?"

"Coms are down" Zach said. As Rose was still trying to get through to the two Time Lords, Zach continued to explain. "I've still got life signs, but we've lost the capsule. There's no way out. They're stuck down there"

* * *

The capsule was completely destroyed thanks to the fallen cable. "How much air have we got?" The Doctor asked.

Ida checked. "Sixty minutes" She checked again and then sighed. "Fifty five"

* * *

"But we've got to bring them back" Rose said.

"She's right" Tate nodded. "We can't just leave them down there. What kind of people would we be?"

"They're ten miles down" Jefferson stated. "We haven't got another ten miles of cable" There was banging at door 25. Rose, Tate, Jefferson, and Danny all whipped their heads to look at it. "Captain? Situation report"

Zach checked on door one. He opened the porthole and looked through it. The Ood were just outside. The Ood closest to the door had a pair of bolt cutters. It cut through the door bolts with it. "It's the Ood. They're cutting through the door bolts. They're breaking in"

"Yeah, it's the same on door 25"

"How long's it going to take?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's only a basic frame, it should take ten minutes" Another bolt on door 25 was cut. "Eight"

"I've got a security frame. It might last a bit longer, but that doesn't help you" Zach said.

"Okay, so we need to stop them, get out, or both" Tate listed the possible options.

"I'll take both, yeah?" Danny quickly decided. "But how?"

"You heard Nova" Rose spoke up. "Why do you think that thing cut her off? Cos she was making sense. She was telling you to think your way out of this. The Doctor would be saying the same thing"

"Rose is right. We can do this" Tate encouraged. He clapped his hands together. "For starters, we need some lights. There's got to be some sort of power somewhere"

Zach put his hands up in frustration. "There's nothing I can do. Some Captain, stuck in here, pressing buttons"

"That's what The Doctor and Nightingale meant. Press the right buttons"

"They've gutted the generators" Zach paused when he suddenly remembered. "But the rocket's got an independent supply. If I could reroute that. Mister Jefferson? Open the bypass conduits. Override the safety"

Jefferson followed Zach's orders. "Opening bypass conduits, sir"

"Channelling rocket feed in three, two, one. Power"

The lights came back on. Rose clapped. "There we go"

"Let there be light!" Danny cheered.

"Okay, so we got the lights. What about strategy nine?" Tate inquired.

"Not enough power. It needs a hundred percent" Jefferson explained.

"All right, we need a way out" Rose decided to take charge. Well, technically both her and Tate. She looked to Tate, and he nodded. Like it was with The Doctor and Nova, they decided two minds worked better than one. Rose continued. "Zach, Mister Jefferson, you start working on that. Toby, what about you?"

"I'm not a soldier. I can't do anything" Toby doubted himself.

"That's not true" Tate disagreed. "You're the archeologist. What do you know about the pit?"

"Well, nothing. We can't even translate the language" Tate rolled his eyes at Toby, while Rose just scoffed with a wave of her hand. "Hold on. Maybe"

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"Since that thing was inside my head, it's like the letters made more sense"

"Well, get to work. Anything you can translate, just anything" Rose turned to face Danny. "As for you, Danny boy. You're in charge of the Ood. Any way of stopping them?"

"Well, I don't know" Danny answered.

"Well, where there is a problem, there's always a solution" Tate said, repeating words that Nova once said to him. "You've just got to look for it, Danny"

"The sooner we get control of the Base, the sooner we can get the Doctor and Nova out. Shift" Rose gave Danny a pat on the back before her and Tate walked off. "I say, we make a pretty good team. Almost as good as The Doctor and Nova"

"Do you think they're okay down there?"

"Of course. They've got each other. That's the most important thing for them right now"

* * *

"Well, we've got all this cable" Ida began to weigh the options for what they should do next. "We might as well use it. The drum's disconnected. We could adapt it, feed it through" She suggested. She then began to gather up all the cable.

"And then what?" The Doctor asked, shining a light in Ida's direction.

"Abseil into the pit" 

"Abseil" The Doctor repeated, feeling unsure about the idea. "Right"

"We're running out of air with no way back" Ida tried to make him see. She glanced over to see Nova deep in thought, pondering Ida's idea. "It's the only thing we can do. Even if it's the last thing we ever achieve"

"We'll get back" The Doctor promised, glancing in Nova's direction. "Rose and Tate are up there"

"Well, maybe the key to that is finding out what's in the pit" 

"Maybe she's got a point, my love" Nova spoke up. "We need a plan at this point, and Ida's clearly thought one up"

"Well, it's half of a good plan" The Doctor commented.

Nova quirked an eyebrow at him. "Really? And what's the other half then?"

"I go down" The Doctor looked between the two women. "Not you two"

Nova's eyes widened, and she immediately began to protest. "What? No! Doctor, if you're going down, then I'm---"

The Doctor cut her off and grabbed her gently by the shoulders. "Only one of us can be attached to that cable. And whatever is down there, I'm not going to risk losing you to it"

A tear brimmed in one of Nova's eyes. "And, what? I have to risk losing you?"

"I agree with The Doctor, Nova" Ida spoke up, making the Time Lady look at her. "There is only room for one of you to be attached to the cable, and if anything happens, I'd like at least one of you with me up here"

Nova didn't like the idea of her Doctor going down there alone, but she trusted that he knew what he was doing. She let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine"

* * *

"Open junctions five, six, seven" Jefferson announced as he opened said junctions. There was a bang at the door, indicating the Ood were still trying to get in. "Reroute filters sixteen to twenty four. Go"

"There's all sorts of viruses that could stop the Ood" Danny explained. The screen they were standing in front of displayed one of the viruses. "Trouble is, we haven't got them on board"

"Well, that's handy, listing all the things we haven't got" Rose snarked. "We haven't got a swimming pool either. Or a Tesco's"

Danny rolled his eyes just as the screen started beeping. The screen said AFFIRMATIVE. "Oh, my God. It says yes. I can do it. Hypothetically, if you flip the monitor, broadcast a flare, it can disrupt the telepathy. Brainstorm!"

"And what would happen to the Ood?" Tate wondered.

"It'll tank them spark out" Danny said, rather excitedly.

Rose grinned and pat Danny on the back. "There we are, then. Do it!"

"No, but.." Danny shook his head. "I'd have to transmit from the central monitor. We need to go to Ood Habitation" The door sparked again. The Ood were close to getting in.

"If there's nothing else we can do, looks like it's our only option" Tate said, placing a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Good job, Danny"

Rose walked over to Jefferson. "Mister Jefferson, sir. Any way out?" She asked him.

"Just about. There's a network of maintenance tunnels running underneath the base. We should be able to gain access from here" Jefferson explained.

Rose grinned again. "Ventilation shafts" She turned her head to look at Tate. "Hey Tate" His eyes caught hers. "Ventilation shafts!" She repeated to him. Tate just smiled and shook his head at her.

"Yeah, I appreciate the reference," Jefferson remarked, gaining Rose's attention again. "But there's no ventilation. No air, in fact, at all. They were designed for machines, not life forms"

Zach's voice broke in through the com. "But I can manipulate the oxygen field from here. Create discrete pockets of atmosphere. If I control it manually, I can follow you through the network"

"Right, so we go down, and you make the air follow us by hand" Rose asked.

"You and Tate wanted me pressing buttons"

"Yeah, we asked for it" Rose nodded. "Okay, we need to get to Ood Habitation. Work out a route"

* * *

The cable was wrapped around a drum, with one end tied around The Doctor's waist. "That should hold it. How's it going?" Ida asked.

"Fine. Should work. Doesn't feel like such a good idea now" The Doctor said. He looked up from the cable to Nova, who was standing right in front of him. "I'll come back, Supernova. But if I don't--"

"Don't you dare say that!" She hissed at him, pointing a finger at him.

"If I don't," He took Nova's hands in his, and gave them an affectionate squeeze. "I want you to go back to Rose and Tate. I want you to leave with the others. Then, wherever you may end up, summon your TARDIS, and keep travelling with Rose and Tate. Can you promise me that, Supernova?"

"Doctor, I--"

"I said, can you promise me?"

"I promise" Considering that they were both wearing helmets, they couldn't really kiss each other right now so they had to settle on touching helmets where the forehead would be. "I really want to kiss you right now"

"Well, if I return, I'll have something to look forward to then" The Doctor smirked at her. The two of them pulled away, and The Doctor began approaching the trapdoor. He stepped onto the rim of it. "Hmm, there it is again. That itch. Go down, go down, go down, go down, go down" He bounced trying to make the itch go away.

"The urge to jump" Ida said. "Do you know where it comes from, that sensation? Genetic heritage. Ever since we were primates in the trees. It's our body's way of testing us. Calculating whether or not we can reach the next branch"

"No, that's not it. That's too kind. It's not the urge to jump. It's deeper than that. It's the urge to fall!" The Doctor suddenly launched himself into the chasm.

"Doctor!" Nova shrieked out. She approached the chasm as Ida threw the brake on the drum. That stopped The Doctor. Nova peeked down the chasm to see The Doctor grabbing onto the cable and his feet planted against the wall of the chasm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Supernova" He assured her. Nova smiled at him in relief, but she was still worried about him heading down into the pit. Falling or not. "The wall of the pit seems to be the same as the cavern, just not much of it. There's a crust about twenty feet down and then nothing. Just the pit. Okay, then. Ida, lower me down"

"Well, here we go then" Ida said. She turned the brakes off. The Doctor was lowered deeper into the chasm. Nova watched him as he descended.

"I love you, Supernova" The Doctor said to her, before he was engulfed by the darkness.

"I love you too!" She called out to him, hoping that he could hear her. She stayed put near the trapdoor, just staring down the chasm.

Ida watched Nova with a sad look on her face. She could tell that this was their first time being separated from each other. Ida prayed that The Doctor would make a safe return, not just for his sake, but for Nova's as well.


	45. The Satan Pit 9.3

The door sparked again, indicating the Ood were nearly through it. "Danny!" Rose shouted for the young man. 

Danny, in response, held up a finger to her. " Hold on! Just conforming"

"Dan, we got to go now! Come on!" Jefferson yelled.

Something green flashed on the screen which caused Danny to cheer. "Yeah!" He grabbed an orange computer chip, and ran over to the others. "Put that in the monitor and it's a bad time to be an Ood"

"We're coming back" Rose told everyone. They all huddled up in a circle. "Have you got that? We're coming back to this room and we're getting the Doctor and Nova out"

"Okay" Jefferson nodded, quickly agreeing with Rose. "Danny, you go first, then you, Mr Peltzer, then Miss Tyler, then Toby. I'll go last in defensive position. Now, come on, quick as you can!" They all went down into the maintenance tunnel in the order they were given.

Rose's face cringed in disgust as soon as she took in the smell. "God, it stinks" She turned her head to face Tate. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" Tate nodded. "But you're right about the smell though" His face cringed the same way Rose's had. "How about you, Danny. You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm laughing" Danny turned on his wrist-com. "Which way do we go?"

"Just go straight ahead. Keep going till I say so" Zach responded.

Jefferson managed to close the door to the tunnel at the same time the Ood had broke through the door. They all began crawling forward on their hands and knees. "Er, Danny," Tate started. Since he was crawling behind Danny, he had a view of his behind. "Don't take this the wrong way, but not exactly your best angle"

"Oi, stop it" Danny whined.

"I don't know, it could be worse" Toby commented. He was crawling right behind Rose.

"Oi!" Rose squealed.

"Don't get any ideas, Toby" Tate growled. It was a protective growl.

Rose smiled to herself. She couldn't help but like the way Tate was so protective of her. "Don't worry, Tate" She said. "By the end of the day, I'm still yours"

"Thanks Ro--- wait, what?" Tate sputtered, and stopped crawling momentarily. He looked back at Rose, who was staring back at him with a smirk on her face.

"You two!" Jefferson called out to the two of them. "More crawling, and less flirting please"

Tate started crawling again. He could feel his cheeks heating up from what Rose said, but he would have to ignore it for now. Zach's voice broke through Danny's wrist-com. "Straight on until you find junction seven point one. Keep breathing. I'm feeding you air. I've got you"

They kept on crawling until they came to a stop at junction seven point one. They were all exhausted from crawling and began panting. Danny spoke into his wrist-com again. "We're at seven point one, sir"

"Okay, I've got you" Zach jumped a bit when the door sparked again. "I'm just aerating the next section" 

"Getting kind of cramped, sir" Danny complained. "Can't you hurry up?"

"I'm working on half power, here"

"Stop complaining" Jefferson said.

"Mister Jefferson says stop complaining" Rose repeated to Danny.

"I heard" Danny said

"He heard!" Rose called back over to Jefferson.

"But the air's getting a bit thin" It was Toby's turn to complain now.

"He's complaining now" Rose commentated once more.

"I heard" Jefferson copied Danny.

Rose sniffed. "Danny, is that you?"

"I'm not exactly happy" Danny defended himself. He looked over a Tate and noticed that his face was now glistening. "At least I'm not Sir Sweats A Lot over there"

"Well, I'm sorry then" Tate sarcastically apologized. "There's a lot of people in a tight space. Of course I'm gonna sweat" Rose reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue. She began to blot Tate's forehead. "Thanks Rose"

"Don't mention it" She smiled at him.

"I'm just moving the air" Zach explained to them. "I've got to oxygenate the next section. Now, keep calm or it's going to feel worse"

There was a bang that came from the end of the tunnel. Jefferson shifted himself so that he and his gun were facing the direction of the noise. "What was that?" Danny asked.

"Mister Jefferson, what was that?" Rose also asked.

"What's that noise?" Toby wondered worriedly.

"Captain, what was that?" Jefferson asked into his wrist-com.

"The junction in Habitation Five's been opened. It must be the Ood" Zach explained. "They're in the tunnels!"

"Well, open the gate" Danny frantically urged.

"I've got to get the air in!"

"Just open it, sir"

"Where are they?" Tate asked. "Are they close?"

"I don't know. I can't tell. I can't see them" Zach said. "The computer doesn't register Ood as proper life forms"

"Whose idea was that?" Rose wondered with a shake of her head.

"Open the gate!" Danny urged with a shrilled voice. 

The gate behind them opened and they hurried through it. "Danny, turn left. Immediate left" Zach instructed. They turned left.

"The Ood, sir. can't you trap them? Cut off the air?" Jefferson asked.

"Not without cutting off yours. Danny, turn right. Go right! Go fast, Dan. They're going to catch up" They followed Zach's instructions, turning right and picking up the pace of their crawling.

"I'll maintain defensive position" Jefferson said.

"You can't stop!" Rose protested.

"Miss Tyler, that's my job. You've got your task, now see to it"

"You heard what he said, now shift" Toby urged Rose. 

Jefferson braced himself on the sides of the tunnel. The Ood came around the corner, and Jefferson began to fire at them. The others kept on crawling until they came to another gate. "Eight point two" Danny said. "Open eight point two. Zach! Open eight point two!"

"I've got to aerate it" Zach stated.

"Open it now!"

"I'm trying!"

Danny started thumping the gate, out of desperation to get it open. Rose placed a hand on him. "Danny, stop it. That's not helping" Rose tried getting him to stop.

"She's right. We've got to try to remain calm, and wait for Zach to open it" Tate added.

"Zach, get it open!" Toby urged in a panic.

There were the two groups in this situation. Rose and Tate were the calm ones. They had more than their share of run in with foes with The Doctor and Nova, so they knew that panicking was going to get them nowhere in this situation.

Then there was Danny and Toby. The panicked ones, although they can't be blamed for it. If you were in a tunnel being chased by possessed Ood, you'd panic too.

"Jefferson, I've got to open eight point two by closing eight point one" Zach informed. "You've got to get past the junction. Now move. That's an order, now move!" Jefferson had to resort to using his pistol, but unfortunately, he had ran out of ammunition in that too. To make things worse, the Ood were getting even closer. "I'm going to lose oxygen, Jefferson, I can't stop for your dramatics!" Jefferson retreated and the gate opened.

"That's it! Come on" Danny said. They all continued crawling.

"Danny, turn left and head for nine point two" Zach instructed further. "That's the last one. Jefferson you've got to move faster. John, move!"

The gate was beginning to close on Jefferson. Rose and Tate slowed down, and looked back at him. It didn't look like Jefferson was going to make it through. "Mister Jefferson!" Rose called out to him.

"Keep going!" Toby said, pushing on Rose's shoulder. They continued on while the gate closed on Jefferson.

Jefferson sat against the gate, panting in deep breaths. "Regret to inform, sir, I was a bit slow. Not so fast, these days"

"I can't open eight point one, John. Not without losing air for the others" Zach regretfully explained.

"And quite right too, sir. I think I bought them a little time" A little further along, everyone came to a stop. They could hear the conversation between Zach and Jefferson.

"There's nothing I can do, John. I'm sorry"

"You've done enough, sir. Made a very good captain under the circumstances. May I ask, if you can't add oxygen to this section, can you speed up the process of its removal?"

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"Well, if I might chose the manner of my departure, sir, lack of air seems more natural than, well, let's say death by Ood" The Ood were inching closer and closer to Jefferson. "I'd appreciate it, sir!"

"God speed, Mister Jefferson"

"Thank you, sir"

Zach pressed the necessary buttons. There was a hiss, and then Jefferson's blip was gone from the diagram Zach was observing. "Report Officer John Maynard Jefferson PKD deceased with honours. 43 K two point one"

"Zach," Danny managed to speak up. Everyone was trying to keep it together. "We're at the final junction, nine point two. And er, if my respects could be on record. He saved our lives"

"Noted" Zach nodded. "Opening nine point two"

He opened the gate and Ood were waiting for them on the other side. Everyone quickly retreated away. "Lower nine point two! Hurry, Zach!" Rose shouted.

"Back! Back! Back!" Danny repeated.

"We can't go back!" Toby realized. "The gang point's sealed off. We're stuck"

Tate looked up and noticed they were beneath some grating. "Rose, look at this" He got her attention, and pointed up which made her look at the grating.

"Good eye, Tate" Rose commended him. "Let's get it open" The two companions pushed up the grating as the Ood struggled with the gate. "Tate found a way out!" Rose announced to the other two. "Come on! Up!" Rose peeked her head through, noticing that door 32 was nearby. She then climbed up first, followed by Tate, and then Danny. When it was Toby's turn to climb out, the Ood got through the gate.

"Come on, Toby!" Tate called for him. What the three of them didn't see, was Toby's red eyes and him gesturing to an Ood to remain silent. "Toby, come on!"

Toby's eyes returned back to normal. "Help me! Oh, my God. Help me!" He quickly climbed up into the corridor. Door 32 of course had to open, and of course Ood had to come through it.

"It's this way" Danny motioned for everyone to follow him. They started running in the opposite direction of the Ood.

Zach was in a bit of a bind as the Ood were nearly through door one. He reached for his bolt gun. "Hurry it up!" He urged the others.

The group of four had managed to make it the Ood Habitation. "Get it in!" Rose immediately urged Danny, referring to the orange computer chip.

"Danny, get down" Toby spoke over Rose.

"Transmit!" Tate spoke over Toby.

"I'm trying, I'm trying! I'm getting at it" Danny said. He was searching his pockets for the chip, just as the Ood in the room started marching up the stairs. And, unfortunately for Zach, the Ood also managed to break into the control room.

"Danny, get that thing transmitting!" Rose yelled.

Danny put the chip into the computer. He pressed a button, and the reading fell from basic 100 all the way down to zero. The Ood all grabbed their heads, writhed for a few seconds, and then collapsed to the ground.

"You did it! We did it!" Rose cheered. She and Danny hugged each other. 

"Yes!" Danny cheered with her. When Rose let go of Danny, she went on to hug Toby.

"Nice work, Danny" Tate applauded him. The two boys shared a high five. Rose was finished her hug with Toby, and then she finally hugged Tate. She also gave him a kiss on the cheek. Danny and Toby also hugged each other.

Rose picked up the com. "Zach, we did it. The Ood are down. Now we've got to get the Doctor and Nova"

"I'm on my way" Zach said.

* * *

The Doctor was still descending down into the chasm. "You get representations of the Horned Beast right across the universe, in the myths and legends of a million worlds. Earth, Draconia, Velconsadine, Daemos. The Kaled god of war. It's the same image, over and over again. Maybe that idea came from somewhere, bleeding through. The thought at the back of every sentient mind"

"Emanating from here?" Ida asked.

"Could be"

"But if this is the original, does that make it real? Does that make it the actual devil, though?"

"Well, if that's what you want to believe. Maybe that's what the devil is, in the end. An idea" The drum had come to a stop, meaning that all the cable had run out. The Doctor was left dangling mid-air (or mid-vacuum).

"Doctor dear, bad news" Nova started. "We've run out of cable"

"You getting any sort of readout?" Ida asked.

The Doctor checked. "Nothing. Could be miles to go, yet. Or could be thirty feet. No way of telling. I could survive thirty feet"

Nova went wide eyed when she heard him say that. "Don't even think about it!" She turned to Ida. "Start pulling him up"

Ida hesitated, giving Nova a look. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ida, I'm sure" Nova hadn't been so sure about anything in her life. She wasn't going to risk losing her Doctor. "Pull him back up!" Ida began reversing the drum, but The Doctor quickly put a stop to it. "Doctor, what are you doing?" Nova walked back over to the chasm and peered over the edge.

"You bring me back, then we're just going to sit there and run out of air. I've got to go down" The Doctor explained.

"But you can't....you can't leave me. What if you can't come back up?"

"Call it an act of faith" The Doctor paused as he began unhooking the cable. "An act of my love for you, Supernova. So that you get a chance to survive"

Nova sighed, feeling defeated that there was no talking The Doctor out of this. "I suppose I'd be doing the same thing if I was in your shoes. Taking a leap of faith, so I could give you the chance to live on"

"I know you would"

* * *

Rose, Tate, Danny, and Toby made it back to the drilling area. Rose immediately grabbed the com and spoke into it. "Doctor, Nova, are you there? Doctor, Nova, Ida, can you hear me?"

Zach joined them. He stepped up beside Rose. "The comms are still down" He informed. "I can patch them through the central desk and boost the signal. Just give me a minute" Zach began typing away at the computer.

* * *

"I didn't ask, Ida" The Doctor said. "Have you got any sort of faith?"

"Not really" Ida answered honestly. "I was brought up Neo Classic Congregational, because of my mum. She was..." Ida paused. "My old mum. But no, I never believed"

"Neo Classics, have they got a devil?"

"No, not as such. Just er, the things that men do"

"Same thing in the end"

"What about you?"

"I believe, I believe I haven't seen everything, I don't know. It's funny, isn't it? The things you make up. The rules. If that thing had said it came from beyond the universe, I'd believe it, but before the universe? Impossible. Doesn't fit my rule. Still, that's why I keep travelling. To be proved wrong. Thank you, Ida"

"Don't go!" Ida begged.

"And Supernova, know that I love you. Get back to Rose and Tate. When you get to safety, call your TARDIS, and keep travelling with them"

Nova nodded, barely noticing the tear that slipped from her eye. "I will, Doctor. And I'll remember to tell them that you loved them as much as I do" She peeked down the chasm again. "And by the way, my answer is yes"

"What?"

"Rose said you already have a ring. My answer is yes"

The Doctor smiled. He released the last caribiner still attached to him, and he fell into the blackness. Rose's voice finally broke through. "Doctor, Nova are you there? Doctor, Nova, Ida, can you hear me?" Static broke through momentarily, before Rose asked again. "Doctor, Nova, are you there?"

"He's gone" Nova replied sadly, still staring down the chasm.

A blank look came across Rose's face. "What do you mean he's gone?"

Nova swallowed a lump in her throat. Ida came up behind her, and began to rub her back. "He fell into the pit. And I don't know how deep it is. Miles and miles and miles"

"But what do you mean, he fell?" Rose's voice started to crack.

"Rose, may I.... may I speak to Tate, please?"

"Nightingale," Tate spoke in a soft voice. "It's okay. I'm here. What happened?"

"I couldn't stop him. He told me to return to you two. To move on without him"

"I'm sorry" It was Zach's voice this time. "Ida? There's no way of reaching you two. No cable. No back up. You're ten miles down. We can't get there"

"You should see this place, Zach" Ida said. "It's beautiful. Well, I wanted to discover things, and here I am"

"We've got to abandon the base. I'm declaring this mission unsafe. All we can do is make sure no one ever comes here again"

"But we'll never find out what it was"

"Well, maybe that's best"

"Yeah"

"Officer Scott"

"It's all right. Just go. At least I'm not alone down here" Ida glanced over at Nova, feeling grateful for the Time Lady's presence. Nova was still peering down the chasm, and Ida could hear her sobbing. "Good luck"


	46. The Satan Pit 9.4

Everyone was pretty beat up about hearing about The Doctor falling into the pit, and the fact that there was no way for Nova or Ida to come back up. Although, no one was more heartbroken about it than Rose and Tate. Zach hung up the com, and then he turned to face the others. "Danny, Toby, close down the feed links. Get the retrotropes online, then get to the rocket and strap yourselves in. We're leaving" Danny and Toby got to work.

Rose and Tate looked at each other. The both of them were thinking the same thing. If there was a chance for the two Time Lords to return, they weren't going to leave them behind. "We're not going" Rose announced.

"Rose, Tate, there's space for both of you" 

"We're going to wait for The Doctor and Nova" Tate explained. He and Rose looked at each other again. "Just like they waited for us" The two companions joined hands. 

"I'm sorry" Zach started sympathetically. "But he's dead, and there's no way for her to come back up"

Rose shook her head, obviously not wanting to hear what Zach was saying. "You don't know them. 'Cause he's not. I'm telling you, he's not"

"And then, Nova" Tate carried on from Rose. "She's relentless. She doesn't give up. She'd find a way to come back"

Rose spoke again. "And even if he was, and if she was stuck, how could we leave them all on their own, all the way down there? No, I'm going to stay"

"Me too" Tate agreed with an affirmative nod.

Zach knew that there was no way of changing their minds. "Then I apologise for this" But he also wasn't just going to leave them behind. "Danny, Toby? Make them secure"

Toby grabbed Rose, while Danny grabbed Tate. "No, no. No! No! No! Let me go!" Rose squealed.

"Get off us! We're not leaving!" Tate protested.

Zach injected Rose with something first, and then he injected Tate. The both of them passed out. " I have lost too many people. I am not leaving you two behind" Zach picked up Rose and carried her over his shoulders, while Toby and Danny dragged Tate along. "Let's get them on board"

They went into the next corridor, where a bunch of Ood lay on the floor. Toby saw one of them twitch. "Did that one just move?" He accused. It's eyes were still red.

"It's the telepathic field. It's reasserting itself" Danny said.

"Move it. Get to the rocket. Move!" Zach hastily ordered. They kept on moving, ignoring the twitching Ood.

* * *

The Doctor landed at the bottom of the pit. The faceplate of his space suit had shattered upon contact with the ground. He woke up and then stood. He gasped in realization, and then took off his helmet. "I'm breathing. Air cushion to support the fall" He turned on his com. "You can breath down here, Ida. Can you hear me, Ida? Supernova, can you hear me?"

The Doctor closed his eyes. He attempted to reach out to Nova telepathically.

_Supernova, if you can hear me, I want you to know that I'm alright. I promise I'll make my way back to you, and then we can get out of here, and see Rose and Tate again. I love you, my Supernova._

* * *

Everyone was strapped in on the rocket. Rose and Tate were still passed out. "Dislocating B clamp. C Clamp. Raising blu-nitro to maximum. Toby, how's the Negapact feed line?" Zach asked.

"Clear. Ready to go, sir" Toby assured. "For God's sakes, get us out of here!"

Rose and Tate started to wake. Danny noticed. "Captain, I think we're going to have problem passengers"

"Keep an eye on them" Zach ordered.

"Wait" Rose quickly realized where they were. "We're not"

"It's all right, Rose. You and Tate are safe" Danny tried to ease.

That didn't work, because Rose and Tate were both trying to take off the safety restraints. "We're not going anywhere!" Rose objected.

"Get us out!" Tate demanded.

Zach ignored them as he announced lift off. "And lift off! Whoo!"

* * *

Ida and Nova looked up as they heard a rocket engine. "Seems as though they left" Ida said.

"Yeah" Nova replied weakly. "At least Rose and Tate are safe"

Little did they know that The Doctor could also hear the rocket engine from the pit. And his message to Nova had yet to come through.

* * *

So Rose and Tate were stuck on a rocket in flight, with no way of turning back to wait for their friends. Rose was eyeing a bolt gun within reach of her. She grabbed it, turned it on, and pointed it at Zach. "Take Tate and I back to the planet. Take us back!" Rose demanded.

"Or what?" Zach challenged.

"What do you think or what?" Tate retorted. "She'll shoot"

"He's right" Rose nodded. "I will. Wouldn't be the first gun I've shot" She thought back to the time she had to save Nova from Marilyn and Dr. Vick, who were trying to bring HYDRA back.

Zach turned to look at her. "Would you, though? Would you really? Is that what your Doctor and Nightingale would want?" Rose slumped back in her seat. "Sorry, but it's too late anyway. Take a look outside. We can't turn back. This is what the Doctor and Nightingale would have wanted. Isn't that right?" Rose and Tate peered outside the window. They peered at the black hole.

* * *

The Doctor ventured further into the pit. He shined his flashlight on the paintings that were on the wall. "The history of some big battle. Man against Beast. I don't know if you're getting this, Ida, Supernova. Hope so. Anyway, they defeated the Beast and imprisoned it" Something caught his eye when he spotted two bronze urns sitting on pedestals. The same scene was painted on the wall. "Or maybe that's the key" He touched one of the urns, causing them both to light up. "Or the gate, or the bars" He stood in between the two urns. An impossibly big horned creature wakes and looks at him. It was bound to the wall by chains around it's horns and limbs. 

* * *

Rose and Tate strapped on their safety belts, succumbing to the situation they were in. Toby smiled and he began laughing. Danny saw him. "What's the joke?" He wondered.

"Just..." Toby started, still laughing. "We made it. We escaped. We actually did it"

"Not all of us" Rose reminded him.

"We're not out of it yet" Zach added. "We're still the first people in history to fly away from a black hole. Toby, read me the stats"

Toby glanced at the screen above him. "Gravity funnel holding, sir. Always holding"

* * *

The Doctor was now face-to-face with the Beast. "I accept that you exist. I don't have to accept what you are, but you're physical existence, I'll give you that. I don't understand. I was expected down here. I was given a safe landing and air. You need me for something. What for? Have I got to, I don't know, beg an audience? Or is there a ritual? Some sort of incantation or summons or spell? All these things I don't believe in, are they real? Speak to me! Tell me!"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows when the Beast wouldn't respond. "You won't talk. Or you can't talk. Oh, hold on, wait a minute, just let me. Oh! No. Yes! No. Think it through. You spoke before. I heard your voice. An intelligent voice. No, more than that. Brilliant. But, looking at you now, all I can see is Beast. The animal. Just the body. You're just the body, the physical form. What's happened to your mind, hmm? Where's it gone? Where's that intelligence? Oh, no"

* * *

Toby read off the stats again as they changed. "Stats at fifty three. Funnel stable at sixty six point five. Hull pressure constant. Smooth as we can, sir, all the way back home. Coordinates set for planet Earth" All that was followed by the slightest smirk. An almost devious smirk.

* * *

"You're imprisoned, long time ago. Before the universe, after, sideways, in between, doesn't matter. The prison is perfect. It's absolute, it's eternal. Oh, yes! Open the prison, the gravity field collapses. This planet falls into the black hole! You escape, you die. Brilliant! But that's just the body. The body is trapped, that's all. The devil is an idea. In all those civilisations, just an idea. But an idea is hard to kill. An idea could escape. The mind. The mind of the great Beast. The mind can escape! Oh, but that's it! You didn't give me air, your jailers did. They set this up all those years ago! They need me alive, because if you're escaping, then I've got to stop you"

The Doctor grabbed a rock. "If I destroy your prison, your body is destroyed. Your mind with it" He raised the rock to smash one of the urns, but stopped himself, and dropped the rock. "But then you're clever enough to use this whole system against me. If I destroy this planet, I destroy the gravity field. The rocket. The rocket loses protection and falls into the black hole. I have to sacrifice Rose. Sacrifice Tate. Sacrifice my...." The Doctor didn't even want to finish that sentence.

* * *

There was something that didn't make sense to Rose, and she was hoping it wouldn't make any sense to Tate either. There was something about the whole escaping on rocket thing that just seemed too.... easy. "Tate?" Rose called. He craned his head around to look at her. "Does any of this make sense to you?"

"What do you mean?" Tate asked.

"We escaped, but there's a thousand ways it could've killed us. It could've ripped out the air or, I don't know, burnt us, or anything. But it let us go. Why?"

Tate's eyes widened in realization. "Unless it wanted us to escape?"

"Hey Rose, Tate, do us a favour" Two said people looked at Toby. "Shut up. Almost there. We'll be beyond the reach of the black hole in forty, thirty nine"

* * *

"So, that's the trap. Or the test, or the final judgment, I don't know. But if I kill you, I kill her. Except that implies in this big grand scheme of Gods and Devils that she's just a victim. But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demi-gods and would-be gods, and out of all that, out of that whole pantheon, if I believe in one thing, just one thing, I believe in her"

The Doctor picked up the rock from earlier and he smashed an urn.

* * *

The rocket began shaking. "What happened?" Danny asked. "What was that?"

"What's he doing? What is he doing?" Toby repeated.

"We've lost the funnel. Gravity collapse!" Zach explained.

"What does that mean?" Rose asked further.

"We can't escape. We're headed straight for the black hole!"

* * *

The Doctor smashed the second urn. "This is your freedom. Free to die. You're going into that black hole and I'm riding with you"

The Beast starting thrashing and growling. It let out a breath of fire. The Beast's skin started to crack, showing the glow of the fire within it.

* * *

Rose stared out the window. "It's the planet. The planet's moving. It's falling" She turned her head to look at Toby again, and jumped when she saw that his eyes were red and his face was covered in the symbols.

"I am the rage" Toby said.

"It's Toby. Zach, do something"

"And the bile and the ferocity"

"Just do something!"

"I am the Prince and the Fall and the enemy. I am the sin and the fear and the darkness"

"It's him! It's him! It's him!" Danny shouted.

"Stay where you are. The ship's not stable!" Zach instructed. Toby breathed out fire. "What is he? What the hell is he?"

"I shall never die. The thought of me is forever. In the bleeding hearts of men, in their vanity and obsession and lust" Toby said. Rose loosened her safety belt (but never unfastened it), and reached for the bolt gun. "Nothing shall ever destroy me. Nothing!"

Tate noticed that Rose had the gun pointed at the front screen. He smirked knowingly. "Yeah, might to rethink that" He then ducked out of the way.

"Go to hell!" Rose said, before firing the gun, taking out the front screen. Tate then quickly reached over and unfastened Toby's safety belt. Toby was still roaring as he got sucked out into space and towards the black hole.

"Emergency shield!" Zach announced. A metal shutter sealed the hole, but the rocket was still falling. "We've still lost the gravity funnel. We can't escape the black hole"

"But we stopped him" Rose said. "That's what the Doctor and Nova would've done"

"Some victory. We're going in"

"The planet's lost orbit. It's falling!" Danny shouted.

* * *

Back on the planet, all the Ood were starting to wake up. They became aware of what was happening. Ida passed out, her head falling down onto Nova's lap.

"Ida" Nova said her name softly. She was beginning to feel lightheaded, and immediately knew that it was from the lack of oxygen. It was the reason why Ida passed out. "It's okay, Ida..." Nova gripped onto the woman's hand. "I'm here. I'm..." 

Just as Nova was about to pass out, she heard the familiar whirring sound and the blue box she loved so much came into view. Nova couldn't help but smile. "Doctor... I knew you'd come back" 

* * *

The screen Danny was staring at beeped a few times and then went blank. "The planet's gone. I'm sorry" He said.

"Accelerate. I did my best" Zach said. "But hey! The first human beings to fall inside a black hole. How about that? History"

Rose closed her eyes, anticipating the inevitable. Tate reached around and grabbed her hand. The gesture made Rose feel a little bit better. She gave his hand a squeeze. Then, suddenly, the shaking came to a stop. Rose's eyes shot open and she looked around. "What happened?" She asked.

"We're turning" Zach answered, confused as to how they were. "We're turning around. We're turning away!"

"Sorry about the hijack, Captain" The Doctor's voice broke through. "This is the good ship TARDIS. Now, first thing's first. Have you got a Rose Tyler and Tate Peltzer on board?"

"We're here!" Rose cheered, raising a hand in the air. It was the hand that was holding Tate's so his went up as well. "It's us! Oh, my God. Where are you?"

"And is Nova there with you?" Tate asked.

"I'm right here, Tate" Nova's voice also broke through. Tate let out a sigh of relief, knowing that his two best friends were both okay. "We're just towing you home. Gravity schmavity. Our people practically invented black holes"

"Well, in fact, they did" The Doctor added. "In a couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe. Oh, and Captain? Can we do a swap? Say, if you give us Rose Tyler and Tate Peltzer, we'll give you Ida Scott? How about that?"

"A two for one deal" Nova joked. "You might call it"

"She's alive" Zach cheered.

"Yes" Danny gasped, head in his hands. "Thank God"

"Bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be all right" The Doctor assured. "I couldn't save the Ood. I only had time for one trip. They went down with the planet. Ah! Entering clear space. End of the line. Mission closed"

* * *

Some time had passed before Rose and Tate entered the TARDIS. The Time Lords smiled at their friends. Rose and Tate ran up to the two of them, and they all shared a great big group hug. Once the hug was over, and The Doctor and Nova were back in their normal clothes, The Doctor contacted Zach again. "Zach? We'll be off, now. Have a good trip home. And the next time you get curious about something. Oh, what's the point. You'll just go blundering in. The human race"

"But Doctor, what did you find down there? That creature, what was it?" Ida wondered.

"I don't know. Never did decipher that writing. But that's good, Day I know everything? Might as well stop"

"What do you think it was, really?" Rose asked.

"I think we beat it. That's good enough for me"

"Me too" Nova agreed with a nod.

"It said I was going to die in battle" Rose brought up.

"And it said I was going to mourn her. That I would be forced to leave her behind" Tate added on.

"Then it lied" The Doctor assured them both. "Right, onwards, upwards. Ida? See you again, maybe"

"I hope so" Ida returned the sentiment.

"And thanks, boys!" Rose shouted.

"Hang on though, Doctor, Nightingale. You never really said. You four, who are you?" Ida asked.

"Oh," The Doctor started. The TARDIS team all looked at each other. "The stuff of legend" With that, The Doctor pulled a lever and the TARDIS whirred, meaning that they were on the way to their next adventure.


	47. Deep Trouble 1

Rose and Nova were currently in the former's Volkswagen TARDIS. Rose was leaning against the console with her legs crossed, while Nova was sitting crossed legged on the floor. She had a broken trinket in hand and was trying to fix it with both her Sonic screwdriver, and a regular screwdriver. She also had on a weird pair of goggles she liked to wear when fixing things.

"What exactly is it that you're trying to fix?" Rose questioned, with a curious tilt of her head.

"It's just something I found while I was junkyard diving on some planet once" Nova explained, her tongue hanging out of her mouth in concentration.

"And what is it that the thing is supposed to do?"

"We'll find out once I fix it" Nova heard Rose snort. The Time Lady pushed up the goggles onto her forehead and looked up at her blonde companion. "What?"

"You go dumpster diving, and you just take something, and you don't even know what it is you take?"

"Yeah" Rose gave Nova an amused grin. At that moment, The Doctor and Tate walked in, the two of them returning upon a cafe upon Nova's request.

"I've got a croissant for Rose" Tate announced, holding up the brown paper bag he had in hand.

"Yes!" Rose cheered, clapping her hands together. She took the bag from Tate, opened it up, and held it up to her nose. She took a big sniff from the bag. "Mmm. Just smell that. I've always wanted to have a croissant made actually in a cafe in Paris"

Oh yeah, the TARDIS team was stopped over in Paris, France for a little sightseeing trip. The Doctor held up the paper bag he was holding. "And one bran muffin for my Supernova"

"Thank you!" Nova said, taking the bag and pressing a quick peck to The Doctor's lips. She took the muffin out of the bag, and wafted it under her nose. "Just what I needed"

Tate scrunched his nose as he watched the blonde Time Lady take a bite out of the muffin. He never understood the appeal of bran muffins. "Why do you like bran muffins so much, Nova? They're disgusting"

"Bran muffins are brain food" She explained. "And brain food is the best kind of food!"

"Yeah, well, keep that bran muffin away from me while I enjoy my croissant" Rose said through a mouthful of food. She also pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. "I also have a list of things I'd like to see while we're here"

The Doctor took it from her and began to read it. "Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe" He noticed that Eiffel Tower was bolded, underlined, and italicised, emphasizing how important it is that they visit there. "What's so important about the Eiffel Tower that you've had to scribble it differently?"

"Oh, I don't know" Rose started with a shrug, and then grew a smirk. "It's the perfect place for asking _specific_ questions"

"Hmm, and what kind of questions are we planning to ask, Rose?"

"There!" Nova suddenly announced. She held up her newly tinkered bauble. "I'm finally finished it!"

Tate eyed the bauble. "And what exactly is it supposed to be?"

"Well, if I tinkered with it correctly, hopefully it'll be an Infinity Stone detector" Nova explained. "I figured, since the stones could be anywhere, we'd have a little help with this thing. If we're close by to one of the stones, it'll hopefully start glowing the color of whatever stone is nearby"

"Remind me again what color these stones are" Rose asked.

"I can answer this one!" The Doctor said. "I've been doing a lot of reading on them" He flashed a smile in Nova's direction and then began to list off the stones. "The Space Stone is blue, the Mind Stone is yellow, the Reality Stone is red, the Power Stone is purple, the Time Stone is green, and the Soul Stone is orange"

"And the only known location of a stone would be with the Time Stone, currently guarded by our Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange" Nova added.

"I believe some of our Avenger friends have gotten their powers from some of the stones. For example, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, and Carol Danvers"

"But since then, some of the stones have been lost. They could be anywhere in the universe. Most of them are in some kind of containment unit"

"So, like Stephen's necklace?" Tate said. He then remembered something about the Chitauri invasion of 2012. "And that cube thing that Loki had! What was it called... the Tesseract! Wasn't that a containment unit for one of the stones?"

"The Space Stone! Good remembering, Tate!" Nova said, pointing in his direction. "And if I recall, Loki's sceptre contained the Mind Stone"

"Nova, what would happen if the stones did get into the wrong hands?" Rose wondered.

"Well..." Nova swallowed a big lump in her throat. She never did like to think about what could happen. "If the stones were to end up in the wrong hands, they could eradicate half, or even the whole universe with a snap of their fingers" To emphasize her point, she snapped her fingers.

Rose's face went pale. "Yeah, that sounds bad"

"And that's why it's important we find them all!" The Doctor said. "Which we will!" He added on when he noticed the still worried looks on everyone's face.

"I think we should let the stones go for now" Tate suggested. He opened the doors of the Volkswagen TARDIS, revealing the beautiful scenery of Paris. "We've got some sightseeing to do!"

* * *

The TARDIS team had spent a good majority of the day seeing all the pretty sights and landmarks in Paris. Nova became extra excited when they came across a mime doing a performance. She then proceeded to tell everyone a story of when she visited a planet of mimes that were trapped in actual invisible boxes. Boy, did she have a hoot of time on that adventure.

When it came to their visit to the Eiffel tower, Rose and Tate only stayed for a short time. The reasoning behind this was so that The Doctor and Nova could have a romantic moment together, and Rose was hoping that The Doctor would pop the question to Nova. So, the two companions opted to have some quiet time in the Volkswagen TARDIS.

"I'd love to see that mime planet Nova was talking about" Rose mused. "Seems like it would be... interesting"

"I don't know" Tate shook his head. "The idea of a place like that freaks me out. First of all, none of the inhabitants would talk. And second, it sounded like invisible boxes are quite the problem there and I wouldn't want to risk getting stuck in one"

"Well, I'd still want to go" Rose added with a shrug. At that moment, a light on the console started blinking. The blinking was accompanied by a beeping sound. "What's that?" Rose asked, referring to the blinking and the beeping.

"That would be Tim picking up a distress signal" Tate referred to the TARDIS by its preferred nickname.

Rose chuckled a little. "I still can't believe Nova's TARDIS likes to be called Tim"

Tate smiled at her comment, and then shook his head before speaking to Tim the TARDIS. "Tim, do you know where that distress signal is coming from?"

_I do, Tate! It is coming from the underwater city of Azura_

Rose's face scrunched in confusion. "Underwater city of Azura? I've never heard a such a place"

_And the reason for that, Rose, is because the city is hidden in the deepest oceanic trench on Earth._

"The Mariana Trench?" Tim hummed in response to Rose's answer. "Well, I didn't even know underwater cities existed"

_Well, Azura is one of the two major underwater cities. The other is Atlantis._

Rose spoke again. "Atlantis is real!?" She was completely dumbfounded. "I thought that was just a legend"

_While Atlantis is home to the Atlanteans, Azura is home to the Ichthyo Sapiens._

"Doesn't Ichthyo mean fish or something?" Tate wondered. "And if Sapiens relates to humans..." Before he could finish, Rose had already pieced it together.

"So, they're fish people"

_Correct, Rose Tyler._

"Well, can't wait to see what that looks like" She muttered to herself.

_I have a message from them. Shall I relay it?_

"Please do, Tim" Tate nodded.

Just then, a hologram popped up. Rose and Tate went wide eyed when they saw what the hologram was. It was a fish person, with blue skin, black bulging eyes, gills, two slits for a nose, and webbed hands and feet.

_My name is Abraham, right hand to King Moor and Queen Adra. I'm hoping this message reaches either The Doctor or The Nightingale. Perhaps even the both of you. Even down here, in the deepest depths of the ocean, we've heard stories about the two remaining Time Lords. Please, if you receive this, come to Azura. We need you._

The hologram ended. Rose and Tate turned to each other. "So a couple of thoughts" Rose spoke. "One, that was a fish person. Not as bad as I pictured them to look. And two, what if this is a trap?"

Tate furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms as he leaned against the console. "Why would it be a trap?"

"Well, there's a lot of things that want The Doctor and Nightingale dead" Tate had to agree with Rose on that one, but he was sure that the Ichthyo Sapiens were genuinely in need of help. Rose added on to her statement. "For all we know, this could be a ruse"

"But on the other hand, they could be in genuine need of help, and only The Doctor and Nightingale are able to do that"

Rose sighed. Maybe Tate was right, and she was just assuming things too fast without getting to know these...er...people. "I suppose you're right. We won't know anything until we actually go to Azura"

"Okay, so it's settled" Tate announced. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Let's call The Doctor and Nova, and get them over here"

* * *

The two Time Lords were enjoying their company with each other on top of the Eiffel Tower. They were going back and forth, telling each other stories. And then they were just standing in silence. Nova leaned on the railing, her eyes looking over the city, and her hair being blown back by a soft wind. The Doctor's eyes, however, were on Nova. He always found himself staring at her, becoming entranced by her beauty. 

That's also when he remembered what was in his pocket. It was the locket he had picked out for her. "Supernova," The Doctor spoke up, making her turn her head in his direction. "I have something I want to give you"

"What is it, my love?" She asked softly.

"Well, while you and Tate were in Germany, Rose and I went to this bazaar. While I was there, I saw something and I thought, "Hey, maybe my Supernova would like this" So, I ended up getting this for you" The Doctor pulled the locket out of his pocket. Nova's eyes sparkled when she saw it.

"Doctor, that's beautiful" 

"So, you like it?"

"I love it" Nova grinned at her lover. "Put it on me?"

The Doctor returned the smile. "It'd be my pleasure" Nova turned around and moved her hair aside. The Doctor put the locket around her, and then he clasped it shut. Nova's eyes fluttered shut as she felt his fingers brushing against the bare skin of her neck. She also couldn't help the involuntary moan she felt from his touch. 

She went wide eyed and felt her cheeks blush in embarrassment when she realized what she had done. "Doctor, I'm sorry! I don't know where that came from! It's just that I---" Nova turned around, only to find him staring intently at her. His pupils were dilated, and his chest was heaving with heavy breaths.

"I love you, so much, my Supernova" The Doctor spoke in a voice that was deeper than normal. He cupped Nova's face and touched his forehead to hers. "I absolutely love you"

"I love you too" Nova whispered to him. Her eyes closed again. The feeling of his hot breath against her lips was becoming too much for her to bear. She really needed him to kiss her. Just as The Doctor was about to press his lips to hers, they both felt a buzzing in their pockets.

The both of them pulled away, obviously annoyed that they were both being interrupted. They reached into their pockets and grabbed their phones. Nova's phone flashed Tate's name on the screen, while The Doctor's flashed Rose's. Both of them turned to each other and said at the same time, "I need to take this" The Doctor stepped off to the left, and Nova to the right. They both answered their phones. 

"What is it, Tate?"

"Yes, Rose?"

"Underwater city?"

"Fish people?"

"They need our help?"

"We'll be right there"

They both hung up the phones, and then turned to look at each other. The Doctor spoke first. "Let me guess. That was Tate telling you about an underwater city called Azura and how the---"

"Ichthyo Sapiens need our help with something? Rose told you the same thing?" Nova asked, tilting her head.

"Yep" The Doctor popped the 'p'. There was a moment of silence between them. The Doctor had his hands in his pockets, while Nova fiddled with her locket. "Suppose we should go then?"

"Yeah" Nova nodded. The two of them started making their way back to the Volkswagen TARDIS. The both of them started thinking the same thing. Exactly what kind of help would a deep sea civilization need from two Time Lords and their two human companions?


	48. Deep Trouble 2

The Volkswagen TARDIS materialized in their destination. The TARDIS team were now miles and miles deep in the ocean. Nova was off fetching wetsuits for all of them to wear. Meanwhile, The Doctor was handing out little tubular devices to Rose and Tate.

"What are these for?" Rose asked, eyeing the small device.

"These will allow you to breath underwater" The Doctor explain. "You put them on your nose just like this" He demonstrated. After he did so, Rose and Tate put theirs on as well.

"I can't believe it" Tate exclaimed in amazement. "We're now deep in the Mariana Trench, about to enter the ancient underwater city of Azura"

"Inhabited by a bunch of fish people" Rose added. Sure, she's seen cat nurses, but something about fish people just makes her shudder. "Makes me wonder what the Atlanteans look like"

"Like normal people" The Doctor answered quickly. "Well, as normal as can be. I mean, they do breath underwater without the need of gills"

"Do you think we could see Atlantis one day?" Tate asked. "I mean, we're seeing one underwater city already"

"Atlantis is almost as hard to find as Themyscira" Nova stated when she walked in on the conversation. She was already wearing her wetsuit, and had the other three in hand. "Here's the wet suits. Just put them on over your clothes. They'll keep your body temperature regulated" She handed them out to the others and they quickly put them on. The Doctor gave Nova her breathing apparatus. She put it on.

Rose's eyes gleamed at the mention of Themyscira. Atlantis she's heard of, but Themyscira? "What's Themyscira?"

Nova grinned at Rose. "It's an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It was created by Zeus, and is home to the Amazons, which is a warrior race consisting of all women. The island is protected by a barrier which hides it from the rest of the world"

"An island of just women" Rose clicked her tongue. "Sounds like a good vacation spot after a break up"

"Anyways, that's enough about Themyscira" Nova said with a wave of her hand. "Let's bring our focus back to Azura. We're here because the Icthyo Sapiens need our help"

The TARDIS team stepped out of the Volkswagen TARDIS. Thankfully, no water actually got inside of it. What they were greeted to was a brightly lit, underwater city which was something quite remnant to Paris. It was a stark contrast to the darkness of the trench which surrounded the city.

"Oh, wow!" Tate's mouth gaped open at the marvelous sight in front of him. "Look at this place! You think, the many expeditions that marine biologists undertake in the Mariana Trench and they have no idea that a place like this exists"

"Hiding in plain sight" The Doctor said. "The best way not to be found"

"The Time Lords! They have arrived!" A voice announced. An Icthyo Sapien approached. Rose and Tate quickly recognized him as the same one who sent the distress call. "I give you my greetings and welcome you to Azura. I am called Abraham. Now tell me, which one is The Doctor? And which one is The Nightingale?"

"I'm The Doctor" He smiled and waved. "Hello!"

"And The Nightingale would be me" Nova introduced. "Or, Nova for short"

Abraham nodded and blinked his bulgy black eyes before turning his attention to the companions. "And who might your friends be?"

"We'd be Tate Peltzer" Tate pointed to himself then pointed to Rose. "And Rose Tyler"

"And if you were wondering, yes we're human" Rose informed. "You probably don't get many of those down here"

"Humans?" Abraham scoffed in disgust. "We have done our best for many years to keep humans away from our beautiful city. All humans are good for is polluting the ocean which we call our home, and hurting the many species that we call our friends"

Just when they thought Abraham was going to deny them entrance into Azura, Rose and Tate were surprised by his softening expression. "But, humans that have the pleasure of travelling with two Time Lords? Well, you must be the very best of humanity"

"Believe us, they are" Nova spoke very fondly of her and The Doctor's two companions. Rose and Tate smiled. It was good to know that the Time Lords would always have their backs.

"Then by the right of King Moor and Queen Adra, I hereby grant you, Doctor and Nightingale, and friends of Doctor and Nightingale, entrance into the city of Azura" Abraham bowed to them. "Please, if you'd follow me to the palace. We'll set you up with rooms, and then Moor and Adra would like to meet with you"

* * *

The TARDIS team was given their own room in the palace. Rose and Tate were told to stay in their own rooms while King Moor and Queen Adra met with The Doctor and The Nightingale. Tate could understand why. They didn't have the most favourable opinions on humans. But Rose was strongly protesting the decision.

"Wherever we The Doctor and Nightingale go, we go" Rose stood her ground.

"I understand that Miss Tyler" Abraham tried reasoning with her. "And I have no doubts that you two can be trusted, but this is a most sensitive matter. The King and Queen request that it's for the Time Lords ears only"

"But we--!"

"I am not discussing the matter further" Abraham snapped. This blonde one was irritating him to no end. "Feel free to tour our city. We'll send a messenger flounder for you when it's dinner time" Abraham slammed the door in Rose's face, nearly hitting her in the nose.

Rose glared at the door and held up a fist. "I tell you, I just wanna smack that one upside the gills" She joined Tate, who was sitting on one of the four beds. "I mean, I get they have their ideas about humans, but he said it himself. We're the very best of humanity so I don't see why we can't sit in on the meeting as well"

"I'm not too thrilled about it either, Rose" Tate said. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "But, doesn't mean we should sit bored in here. I mean, we're in a underwater city. We should go sightseeing" He got up off the bed and walked over to the window. It overlooked the entire city. "Like I mean, this is beautiful"

Rose turned her head in the direction of the window. She gasped and shot off the bed when she got an idea. "The window!"

"What about it?"

"Do you think there's a window that leads to the throne room?" Rose joined Tate near the window. She hooked her fingers under it and pushed it open.

"Probably" Tate furrowed his brows and gave Rose an inquisitive look. "Why?"

A smirk grew on Rose's lips. "Tell me, Tate, how strong of a swimmer are you?"

* * *

The Doctor and Nova followed Abraham to the throne room. Abraham was complaining to them about Rose. "She's quite irritating. I don't know why you keep her around"

"She's not irritating" The Doctor growled defensively.

"She's just strong willed" Nova added, glaring at Abraham. "She's not afraid to stand up for herself"

Abraham shuddered, feeling the intensity of the Time Lords' stares. "Of course, I meant no disrespect" He quickly apologized. He'd heard many stories of the Time Lords, these two in particular. He knew better than to make them angry.

Especially the one known as The Nightingale. For it is said that there is a strong force that resides in her. 

"Here we are" Abraham said once they approached the throne room. He opened the large double doors and led the guests inside. What he wasn't expecting was to see that King Moor and Queen Adra had visitors. "My King and Queen, is this a bad time?"

"No, no" Moor insisted. "Please, bring our guests in"

Abraham stepped aside and ushered The Doctor and Nova into the throne room. Sitting at the thrones were the King and Queen of Azura, Moor and Adra. They wore extravagant clothing and jewelled crowns upon their bald blue heads. 

"King Moor and Queen Adra, may I introduce The Doctor and The Nightingale" Abraham made introductions. The Time Lords bowed to the King and Queen.

"We welcome you, Time Lords" Adra spoke. "And may we introduce you to our Atlantean guests. This is Queen Atlanna, and chief counselor to the Atlantean throne, Nuidis Vulko"

Atlanna stood up. She smiled at the Time Lords. "A pleasure, Doctor and Nightingale" 

Vulko also stood up, but unlike Atlanna, he offered his hand to the Time Lords. "May we offer our sympathies" He said suddenly. "It's not easy losing a home and your people"

Nova swallowed a lump in her throat, and looked at Vulko with sad eyes. "You knew about Gallifrey? The Time War?"

Atlanna gave a sad smile. "Oh, yes. Even in the depths of Atlantis we know all about the Time Lords" There was genuine sympathy in her voice. "And word about it's demise spread fast"

"Thank you" The Doctor muttered quietly.

"Perhaps we should move onto the matter at hand" Vulko suggested. He could tell just by looking at The Doctor and Nova that it was still a tragedy still fresh in their lives. "I'm assuming we're all here for the same reason?"

"Nova and I don't even know the reason yet" The Doctor said. He and Nova took a seat in the empty chairs, sitting across from Atlanna and Vulko. "But it must be serious if the Queen of Atlantis is involved"

"Abraham, leave us" Moor ordered to the right hand. Abraham bowed before leaving the room, giving the pair of Icthyo Sapiens, the pair of Atlanteans, and the pair of Time Lords privacy to discuss the delicate matter. "Now we can talk"

"Time Lords, have you ever heard of the Heart of The Sea?" Adra inquired.

"Nope, can't say we have" Nova answered.

"Tell us about it" The Doctor urged.

Atlanna glared at Moor and Adra. "It would've been safer kept in Atlantis"

"The Heart of the Sea has been safely kept in Azura for thousands of years" Moor insisted. His bulgy black eyes glared right back at Atlanna. "It has never even _attempted_ to be stolen until now"

"Hang on, hang on" Nova put a stop to the bickering between Moor and Atlanna. The both of them looked at her. "Still haven't told us just what this Heart of the Sea is, and why it's such a big deal that it's been stolen"

Atlanna gave her a kind smile. "Forgive us, Nightingale" She then went on to explain about this mysterious, but yet important object. "The Heart of the Sea is a great stone that was formed in the greatest depths of the ocean, thousands and thousands of years ago. It gets its name because it takes on the shape of a heart"

Vulko carried on from Atlanna. "It helps maintain peace between all those who inhabit the oceans. But if it were to get into the wrong hands, that peace could be broken and they would use its power to rule the ocean"

"Sounds like something your son would want, Atlanna?" Adra snided to the blonde queen. "He does want control over the ocean"

"My Orm may be a little lost in his ways" Atlanna defended her youngest son. "But he would never attempt to steal the Heart of The Sea. Maybe it was that right hand of yours" She was quick to accuse.

Moor and Adra just laughed at her accusation. "Abraham would never. He is faithful, and he is the one who reported it missing"

"Well if it wasn't Orm, and it wasn't Abraham, then someone must've taken it" The Doctor quickly stepped in when he saw Atlanna was about to open her mouth. "But as with any investigation, you shouldn't rule out any suspects"

"I don't mean to alarm anyone" Vulko spoke suddenly. He was pointing towards the window. "But it seems as though we have a pair of eavesdroppers"

Everyone else turned to the window that Vulko was pointing at. Adra leapt out of her seat, and seethed with hatred. "Humans!" She spat with venom. "We need look no further for the culprit! It was them!"

"My wife is right!" Moor was quick to side with her. "Humans have been destroying our ocean for years! No doubt, they would want the chance to rule over it as well"

"It wasn't them" Nova said. She walked over to the window and opened it so the eavesdroppers could be let in. The swam through the opening and then planted their feet on the floor. "You two couldn't resist, could you?"

Rose shook her head. "Nope"

"How much did you hear?" Atlanna asked.

"Err, something about a Heart of the Sea and it being stolen" 

"Yeah, and then those two" Tate pointed a finger at Moor and Adra. "Started accusing us of stealing it, whatever it is, all because we're human"

Rose glared and crossed her arms over her chest. "That's real prejudiced of you" Yeah, she definitely liked the cat nurses more. "But I see new people" Rose acknowledged Atlanna and Vulko's presence. She waved. "Hello. I'm Rose Tyler. This is Tate Peltzer"

"We travel with The Doctor and Nova" Tate added.

"I'm Vulko" He introduced himself, then he motioned towards Atlanna. "This is Queen Atlanna"

"Rose, Tate" The Doctor addressed his two companions. "How do you feel about a little investigation?"

"Investigation?" Rose smirked, looking to Tate.

Tate replicated her smirk. "Count us in" He and Rose high fived each other. "If that's alright with everyone else"

Moor sighed. "Adra and I don't completely trust the humans, but I suppose if they're the Time Lords friends..."

"Vulko and I on the other hand, welcome all the help we can get" Atlanna said. "This stone can't get into the wrong hands, and if it already is, then we need to get it back as quickly as we can"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm throwing in DC elements as well. Because why not? It's a fanfiction after all and it makes things more interesting. So not only is it at Marvel AU, it's also a DC AU. A threeway Doctor Who/Marvel/DC crossover.


End file.
